James victory sets up English title eliminator at Pride Park

The Team Shoe-Box fighter made it eight wins out of eight with a hard-fought points success over the experienced Ben Field in Telford on Saturday night, but will be back in the ring in a matter of weeks.

The 21-year-old will take on Parker as part of the undercard of the WBO Interim super-middleweight title fight between Zach Parker and Demetrius Andrade at Pride Park on May 21, the home of Derby County FC.

Parker is six years James' senior and has an impressive record of 14 wins and just one loss in his professional career to date.

That defeat came back in 2019 when Parker lost out to Sam Maxwell in a WBO European Super lightweight title fight.

James will go into the fight full of confidence though after he came through a tough eight-round contest with Field, winning 78-75 on points.

The Northampton fighter went into the bout expecting his most testing contest to date, and that's exactly what he got, with the pair trading blows throughout in front of the BT Sports cameras at the Telford International Centre.

"It was a good fight, I knew he was coming to be game and tough and I have answered a lot of questions about myself," James told Boxing-Videos.com

"I have been in for eight rounds, dug deep for the last three, and I have proved I can fight and not just outbox people."

On Field, he said: "I knew he was going to be gritty.

"I have done eight rounds before, but that was against a nobody. I know he is a former champion and has been in with some good lads.

"His past three losses have all been against top quality fighters and these are the boys I want to be fighting."

It was a test of stamina and endurance as well as skill for James, who admitted: "He caught me with a lot of clean shots, but I just looked at him and nodded, and he knew I was tough.

"I caught him with my own big shots and thought I was going to put him away, because I have been sparring with big lads and putting them away, but I know that will come.

"I am very happy with my performance, I have proved a lot of people wrong."

Looking forward, James added: "I want to be as active as possible and I am back out on May 21.

"I am on a good card and up against a good lad and he has a good record, and that is what I want, I want to be taking on fighters with winning records all the time.

"It is also going to be another stadium ticked off my lost and I am going to answer a lot more questions about myself.

"I am fit and I am ready, I have been out of the ring for six months, but it doesn't feel as though I have been out of the ring at all."