CRAIG Cunningham has told his challenger ‘the pressure is all on you’ as he prepares to finally put up the Midlands middleweight title in Dudley.

Cunningham has held the belt since December 2014 and has been thwarted in his plans to defend the strap twice, win it outright and then move on.

But it looks as if the 28-year-old Brummie, who lives in Oldbury, will finally get the chance to become a fighting champion on Saturday May 21.

Dudley’s own Ryan Aston - going after Midlands honours for the third time and second at the weight - awaits in a 10-round main event.

They headline promoter Paul ‘PJ’ Rowson’s ‘Resurgence’ bill at Dudley Town Hall, in a ‘battle of the southpaws’ between two skilled left-handers.

Cunningham has lost just once over 15 contests and that was in a Prizefighter situation, outpointed after three rounds with Tom Doran.

The Warley Boxing Club graduate is enjoying ‘the buzz” of being paired for a big West Midlands derby and has every intention of coming to upset the party.

He said: “I’ll just be coming to get my head down and perform, but I agree that this is a fight that has got a lot of people talking.

“There’s a lot of hype for this and that’s given me a buzz. I’m in boxing for big nights and this is the next one on the agenda.

“You can’t teach guts, I feel like I can beat anyone and I’ve never ducked any opponent, I’m always confident I’ll come away with a result.

“I’m in there to do what I do best, I’d never underestimate him because I know he’s a skilled fighter, with a great pedigree.

“But there’s also the train of thought that he’s probably on his last chance in relation to titles and he’s got a packed-out home crowd to please.

“I’m the champion and it’s almost like there’s no pressure on me. I need to make that advantage count in the ring.”

Cunningham has been backed by sponsors Team Des Fitness, Kingstanding Self-Drive and Rite Fix in the run up to fight night.

The under-card will be comprised of a quartet of four-round affairs, with Coseley’s Tommy Ghent and Dudley’s Josh Miller no longer featuring.

Netherton’s Les Byfield is from the pro section of the town’s Priory Park Boxing Club and will tackle Joe Beeden on fight night.

Byfield has showed resilience of his own to bounce back from being outpointed on his paid debut, reeling off four victories over-the-distance since.

The popular lightweight, dubbed ‘the Minefield,’ has served his winning apprenticeship against a quartet with nearly 300 contests of pro experience between them.

Rowley Regis’ Tyler Denny will be champing at the bit to get back into action, after two setbacks stunted his progress. He’s the only home fighter on the bill yet to be matched.

The rugged middleweight, from Shaun Cooper’s gym in Brierley Hill, was taken to a draw by Simone Lucas at the Town Hall in December.

Then the 24-year-old’s chance to make amends, on Rowson’s last offering at the Venue in Dudley last month, was delayed by tendonitis in his knuckles.

Flamboyant flyweight Matt Windle’s actions will speak louder than words when he takes his place in the line-up.

The Brummie, another ex-amateur for Warley, has vanquished Anwar Alfadli and Patrick Bartos with a flashy gimmick to match The punching poet, who teaches the prose in schools by day, operates under the ‘Matt Man’ persona and provides an entrance reminiscent of ‘the Dark Knight.’ Rising star Brad Foster, from Lichfield, completes the home corner as a second flyweight on show. The former world kickboxing champion is one of the youngest pros in the country at 18.

‘The Blade’ shut out Josh O’Donnell on points on his paid bow and did the same to Gateshead’s Gary Reeve, who was left swollen by the right eye.

Windle is the next to try his luck with Reeve while Foster takes on Jordan Turner, who has two wins from four.

Tickets, priced at £40, £50 stage and £70 stage all with waitress drinks service, are available from the promoter on 07976 283 157. The Town Hall can be contacted on 01384 815 577.