MALMESBURY’S Joe Hughes is switching his focus to making 2015 a year to remember after his Southern Area light-welterweight title defence was shelved.

Hughes, 24, was set to put his Southern Area belt on the line in Bristol on December 13 but that bill at the Action Sports Centre has been cancelled.

However, Hughes has bigger fish to fry and will now prepare for his sanctioned English title eliminator against Liverpool’s Robbie Davis Jr (7-0), which has a purse bid deadline of next Wednesday.

“I don’t think they could find me an opponent (for December 10). We tried everyone that was eligible but nobody wanted to fight me,” said Hughes (10-1), who trains at Paddy John’s Gym in Bristol.

“The show’s now been cancelled anyway. I’ve spoken about finally fighting regularly so it’s frustrating but it’s not the end of the world.

“I’ll just have to concentrate on making next year a big year.

“I’ve got my English eliminator to think about and hopefully that will happen around February time. I’m fighting Robbie Davies Jr, who’s an unbeaten kid and a good kid.

“The purse bids are supposed to happen soon but I don’t think I’ll know a date. It definitely won’t not happen because of anything on my end and if it doesn’t, I guess I’ll go straight in for the English.

“I’ve been training well and if a fight came up, I’d be ready to jump in, but I don’t think I’ll do anything before Christmas now.

“I’ll probably have about a week off at Christmas and that will be it.”

Hughes handed out awards as Malmesbury Amateur Boxing Club staged a bill at Chippenham’s Neeld Hall last Saturday.

First up for the host club was schoolboy Aiden Hirst who showed some good defensive head movement in his contest with Walcot ABC’s Fred Bond.

Both boys put up a great display, with nothing between them at the end of a lively three rounds but the split decision went to the Walcot boxer.

Logan Sharratt faced Trowbridge’s Dillan Stonehouse, who had taken the decision between them two weeks earlier.

This time, the Malmesbury boxer gained a points decision and he later received the Percy Bright Cup for the best Malmesbury performance from Hughes.

Making his debut, Luc Rees earned a hard-fought decision over Elliot Joseph (Synwell).

Welterweight Conor Webley was always in control against Mohammed Mahmoud, from Carl’s Boxing Stable, Plymouth.

Not so lucky were Callum Reid-Hutchins, who was retired after the second round; and Alex Wride who was narrowly outpointed on a split decision by former rival Alex Davies after three hotly-contested rounds.