ROUND-UP: WATSON, DODSON & REID NEWS

Like buses, you wait for a New Year title fight and next thing half a dozen swing around at once. Hot on the heels of Derry Mathews' successful IBO International title opportunity, John Watson goes for the Lonsdale Belt in the same lightweight division, Tony Dodson closes in on a European title crack while former world champion Robin Reid eyes Prizefighter redemption.
 The latter will feature in a four-rounder on the undercard of Watson's British title assault against Manchester Anthony Crolla at the Olympia on February 12.

Robin Reid's last win came against Jess Brinkley
in Newcastle four years ago

 Inactive since November 2007, 'The Grim Reaper' hopes to shake off the ring rust at the tender age of 40 in time to compete in the Prizefighter: The Super-middleweights tournament at the same West Derby Road venue on March 23.
 Reid, currently 39-6-1, hasn't won a fight in four years - when outpointing former Contender TV star Jesse Brinkley in Newcastle over eight - although five of his six defeats came in world title class, with the final loss being against Carl Froch who was on his way to world domination.
 Back to Watson and he is relishing his fight with Crolla, which has been made after British champion Gavin Rees relinquished the Lonsdale Belt to pursue other honours and, perhaps more significantly, other opponents.
 Watson will start as favourite on the Sky Sports card, which also features Commonwealth super-middleweight champion George Groves and Walsall's returning British light-welterweight title challenger Stevie Williams.

Tony Dodson looks set to be rewarded for his Prizefighter
heroics with a European title shot next

 In other news Prizefighter hero Tony Dodson looks destined to be rewarded for his heroics in the light-heavyweight tournament last week with a shot at European champion Danny McIntosh.
Despite needing a ton of stitches to the two cuts which wrecked his chances of success at Wembley, Dodson hopes to recover in time to face the man from Norwich, who captured the blue EU belt after stepping in at late notice to stop Frenchman Thierry Karl in the eleventh round just two weeks ago.
 Dodson, who will have surgery on his cuts this week, hopes that a date in April will be confirmed before the end of the week. Watch this space...

NICK PEET