SEAN McComb will get his first shot at a professional title when he faces Gavin Gwynne for the vacant Commonwealth strap on January 22 in Wakefield.
'The Public Nuisance' has impressed since turning over to punch-for-pay in 2018, racking up 11 straight wins although they have mostly come at light-welterweight.
A ranges southpaw, McComb has passed all of his tests to date but had made it known he was keen on moving down to 135lbs and after a post-lockdown victory over Siar Ozgul in August, he will now make that switch and is rewarded with a crack at the 'Rainbow Belt' against Gwynne whose last outing resulted in a sixth-round stoppage lost to another Belfast man, James Tennyson, in a British lightweight title fight in August.
"I'm excited to be getting 2021 off to a good start," McComb confirmed.
"2020 has been a horrendous year for everyone, but things are looking more positive than ever, and I'm pleased to get a good title fight to kick the year off.
"I've been wanting to drop to lightweight for a while but there was a delay while we were trying to get a suitable opponent. I had to stay at super-lightweight for one more fight, but now we can put that behind us and push towards big things at lightweight."
Gwynne lost in a previous challenge to Joe Cordina for the Commonwealth and British titles back in 2018 that was his first career loss before regrouping with a stoppage victory over Abdon Cesar.
However, that was merely a prelude to the Tennyson loss that saw his record drop to 12-2 so the 30-year-old Merthyr Tydfil man will know that it may well be win or bust for his career when he faces McComb.
"I'm really happy to start the year with a bang," said Gwynne.
"I boxed for my first title within seven fights and I've been in with some good lads as well, so that stands me in good stead for this fight.
"I have learned a lot from the massive fights that I've been in during my career, and I'm going to win this fight in style."
Turf Lodge's McComb will be the latest Belfast man to enter what looks an exciting 135lb division that contains Tennyson and Paul Hyland Jnr who has been mandated to take on Liam Walsh for the vacant British title, so there is the potential for a run of some exciting domestic dust-ups to come with Joe Fitzpatrick and Kildare's Gary Cully also campaigning at the weight. Victory would set up a huge 2021 for the exciting 28-year-old former Holy Trinity amateur.
