Double title assault is the incentive for Sunderland fighter Glenn Foot

The Sunderland crowd favourite heads to London for a tricky English championship showdown with Philip Bowes.

Foot steps into the Eastender’s backyard for the vacant light-welterweight belt at the iconic York Hall, just down the road from Bowes’s home.

And while a piece of boxing silverware will be a nice ‘accessory’ for the journey home to Wearside, Binns hopes that victory in Bethnal Green will set up a dream fight with British and Commonwealth champion Tyrone Nurse.

“It should be Tyrone Nurse v Glenn Foot now,” said Binns.

“When Glenn beat Adam LIttle in Bolton that, for me, was a final eliminator to fight Tyrone.

“But here we have another one to take care of and it’s another one I’m confident Glenn will win.

“That does not mean we are taking Philip for granted.

“He’s a nice boxer who has come into some good form.

“He lost a couple of 10-rounders at the back of 2014 and the start of 2015, but since then he’s won his last six contests.

“Philip has not boxed anyone of Glenn’s calibre, but that does not mean we are not focused on anything but a hard fight.”

Bowes is known as ‘Quicksilver’ and, while, at 32, he is three years older than Foot, he has boxed less.

At 5ft 11in and a southpaw, he has the extra reach and has that awkward factor that ‘left-handers’ bring to the ring.

But Binns recalls Foot making fairly straight forward work of a similar challenge earlier in his career.

“I remember Glenn boxing Ali Shah, 6ft 2in,” said the Peterlee trainer. “He was a very awkward southpaw, but Glenn dealt with it.”

And Binns says visiting opposition territory will not faze the Phil Jeffries-managed star.

“Glenn is a proper fighting man,” he added. “It’s just a ring to him, he’s not bothered where it’s at.

“He won by two or three points on Adam LIttle home show last time out, but, for me, it was not that close – he dominated the fight.”

Bowes has lost just two of his 17 pro appearances, while Foot has the better record of 19 victories and a solitary loss, six of his wins coming early.

Foot’s capital journey rounds off a very demanding weekend for the in-form East Durham College gym.

Binns has four members of the Peterlee squad in the ring at the Rainton Meadows Arena tonight on the Jeffries-promoted bill.

Darren Surtees faces Middlesbrough’s Ross Jameson for the vacant Northern Area light-welterweight title, while fellow unbeaten fighters Warren Baister, Jay Hughes and Chris Wallace are also on the 10-bout show.

“It’s going to be busy,” said Binns. “But what a weekend of boxing.”