JOE HUGHES sees his next opponent Anthony Upton as a stepping stone to his main ambition of winning a Lonsdale belt.

Hughes will make the first defence of his English light welterweight title against Upton at Walsall Town Hall on December 5, but he said: “What I’m after most is a Lonsdale belt for winning the British title and if I can’t beat Upton I won’t deserve a shot at that.”

Malmesbury’s Hughes took his record to 13 wins and one defeat with the one-round demolition of Tomas Bartunek in Swindon last month.

London-born Upton gained a bronze medal in the Ukraine at the 2006 European Schoolboy Championships and is unbeaten in 11 professional fights. He has yet to lose a round and is now trained by four-time world champion Ricky ‘Hitman’ Hatton in Manchester.

“It should be a great fight,” said Hughes. “There is a lot of hype surrounding Upton because he is still unbeaten and because of who is in his corner.

“Obviously Hatton was ‘the man’ when I was growing up and there were even some comparisons when I started out as a pro because he had won the same Senior ABA title that I did.

“I believe Upton has boxed for Ireland as an amateur but he has yet to win any titles as a pro. I guess he qualifies for the English title bid having been born in London.” Hughes has already studied films of Upton's fights.

“He looks tall and stylish, carries his hands low and regularly switches stance,” said Joe. “And we both have a points decision over a tough journeyman fighter, Mark McKray.

“Upton has already gone on record to say that winning the English title would be a great Christmas present, but I intend to upset his plans.

“He is going straight in at the deep end against me but then I would be doing the same thing in his shoes.

“I know he will be the ‘home’ fighter as the programme is jointly promoted by Hatton, but I was up for it straight away because I want to keep busy."

And Joe revealed that the bout may not be as much of an ‘away’ fight as the opposition think. Hughes said: “My dad is from Walsall and my grandparents still live there so I know the town very well.”