Paul Hyland Jnr will stand between Newport’s Craig Woodruff and a crack at the Lonsdale Belt after the two were paired together in a final eliminator for the British lightweight crown.

Stewards at the British Boxing Board of Control have put the contest out for purse bids to be submitted by noon on November 10, with the fight to take place by the end of March 2022.

Woodruff and Northern Ireland’s Hyland Jnr are fifth and sixth in the British rankings behind Barry’s Lee Selby, Maxi Hughes, who is half Welsh, Belfast’s James Tennyson and Trelewis’ Gavin Gwynne.

Who Woodruff or Hyland Jnr would fight for the Lonsdale Belt remains unclear, with Gwynne and Myron Mills set to defend their Commonwealth and English straps respectively.

Woodruff, though, won’t be looking too far ahead, instead focusing on the biggest fight of his life against a man whose three defeats as a pro have all come in title showdowns.

“This is as big as it gets so far in terms of what we set out to achieve with Craig,” said trainer Luke Pearce, who coaches Woodruff with Johan Berendjy as part of Team SMoA.

“When we started coaching Craig he was ranked 86th in Britain, but we promised we’d get him into this position and we can’t wait for the fight.

“We wanted to train a Newport fighter to win the Lonsdale Belt, to be the first person since David ‘Bomber’ Pearce to bring it back to the city.

“Matthew Edmonds was the last Newport fighter to box for the British title just over a decade ago, and a decade before that it was Paul Samuels.

“You then have to go back another two decades for when David Pearce fought for – and won – the British title.

“This is what we’ve been striving for. It’s brilliant for us because Craig is a product of what we have dome through our charity NewportsRocky.

“Craig was going nowhere when we brought him back into the fold and got him back on the boxing pathway.

“What’s happening is great for us, for Craig and his family, and for the people of Newport.”

He continued: “From his performances over the last couple of years, we feel Craig deserves this chance.

“Paul has only ever lost in title fights and he will be a great opponent for Craig. It’s going to be a great occasion.

“I’m not sure who the winner would fight for the title. It would be an amazing occasion if it was Craig and Gavin Gwynne, but we can’t look that far ahead.”

Pearce, the nephew of former British heavyweight king David Pearce, wants Woodruff to get in a fight before the eliminator.

“We’ve asked our management to get Craig out before the end of the year,” he said. “We want a tick over fight to keep him active and then press on in the new year.”

Woodruff’s last outing in September saw him win every round against previously unbeaten Frenchman Faycal Rezkallah.

As for Hyland Jnr, he was last in action against Hughes in March, with the latter claiming an eighth-round stoppage in the duo’s clash for the vacant British title.