Hooper knows he cannot overlook the threat of Amir

Grimsby's Kevin Hooper knows better than to look at the form book ahead of his Midlands Area title challenge on Friday night.

The unbeaten 28-year-old faces reigning lightweight holder Amir Unsworth at the Beachcomber Club in Cleethorpes.

And while Unsworth has lost in his last two outings, Hooper says he cannot afford to take the Sleaford soldier lightly.

"His last performance was a shock defeat to a journeyman (William Warburton) that he should have beat, but I can't read too much into that," Hooper, 12 - 0 (3 KOs), told HattonBoxing.

"He'll be wanting to come back and get a good win under his belt, which I'm not going to let happen."

The pair know each other well after sparring many rounds together in the past and even share the same manager, Carl Greaves. But when the bell rings on Friday evening, friendship will go out of the window.

"It's just one of those fights that has to happen," Hooper explained. "It's for the area title but the board have now made it an eliminator the English title so this is the only way I can move forwards.

"It's unfortunate we have to meet, but I know I'll giving everything to win that title and he'll be giving everything to keep it. It's business."

The weight of expectation lies heavy on Hooper's back because he is from a part of the country better known for fish produce than prizefighters.

But he says that the fact his local community are pinning their hopes on potential merely serves to galvanise him.

"There's a lot of pressure but that only makes me train harder," he stated.

"It gives me the incentive to perform ten times better. There's going to be so many people being there wanting me to win and I plan on giving them a night to remember.

"The Midlands Area is massive and winning it would be good for the area. It's not been done round here since Mike Duffield and Steve Lewsam so it means a big deal."

If he can emerge victorious, Heywood's Kieran Farrell would be next for the vacant English bauble.

However, a fight that has interested Hooper for a long time would be against Hull's Tommy "Boom Boom" Coyle.

Coyle himself was nominated to face Farrell earlier this year, but instead opted to take a different route before eventually signing up for Prizefighter.

Hooper said: "It's a fight I'd gladly take. People want to see him box unbeaten fighters and my name seems to have popped up from there.

"He was meant to be fighting for the English title at one point and that didn't happen and then he was then fighting for the WBC silver belt and then he ended up in Prizefighter so I don't know what route he's going down, but I'm sure we'll meet in the future."