SHEFFIELD’S Commonwealth bantamweight champion Ross Burkinshaw had a remarkable comeback year in 2014, after a series of career threatening injuries, culminating in claiming his title at just four daysโ€™ notice against Jason Cunningham in Doncaster back in September.

The 28-year-old was supposed to be making the first defence of his title against Terry Broadbent in his hometown at the Octagon Centre on February 21, however โ€œThe Bossโ€ has received the news he will be taking on a whole different challenge.

Burkinshaw, who is promoted by Dennis Hobson, will now fight for the WBO European bantamweight belt, a title that can fast track any fighter up that organisation’s world rankings, against Belgian Benjamin Smoes.

Smoes, who brings in a record of 9-3-1, with one stoppage, has fought for the title before, albeit down at super-flyweight, when he took on Jamie Conlan in Belfast last April, when he was dropped twice en-route to getting stopped in the seventh.

However, Burkinshaw sees this as a genuine test of his world title credentials and believes that his comeback will reach another level after he gets the victory over the Belgian.

He said: โ€œI knew which title I would be fighting for over the weekend and now Iโ€™ve got the name; I can start preparing in earnest. I do know that bantamweight is his real weight and he struggled to make super-fly for the Conlan fight, so he will give me a stern test.

โ€œMy trainer Ryan Rhodes has been watching him a bit already and we have been training for that of style anyway, so it wonโ€™t make too much of a difference. Smoes is a step up, but the way I look at it, he is going to be having a much tougher night than I will.

โ€œI was going to be defending the Commonwealth, but this opportunity came up and I couldnโ€™t turn it down. Iโ€™ll defend the Commonwealth at a later date, so with this win Iโ€™ll be gaining another belt to add to my collection.โ€