BOLTON’S growing reputation in boxing circles has been boosted further after the undercard for the cancelled David Haye fight in Manchester next month was switched to the town.

Haye pulled out of his Manchester Arena showdown with Manuel Charr last week after picking up a hand injury in training, leaving the undercard bouts in question.

But promoter Eddie Hearn was keen for them to go ahead and has picked the Bolton Arena as the venue for the rest of the bill on the same date, June 29.

It will be the first boxing event at the Middlebrook arena in almost three years.

The last bill in July, 2010, featured Anthony Crolla’s victory against Chris Riley on a night when Bury’s Scott Quigg also won and Matthew Hatton beat Yuriy Nuzhnenko on a unanimous points decision.

Mancunian Crolla returns to top the bill on next month’s card when the former British lightweight champion faces ex-WBA belt holder Gavin Rees.

Rees’s fellow Welshman, Lee Selby, will also fight on the bill, with Hearn promising a big step up for the British and Commonwealth featherweight champion.

Rocky Fielding, from the same Oliver Harrison camp as Bolton’s Haroon Khan, will defend his English title against Leicester’s Martin Concepcion, and Brian Rose will box for the first time since beating Joachim Alcine for the vacant WBO Inter-Continental light middleweight title in April.

Some of the country’s best young professional talent will also be in action, including Team GB’s Olympic boxing captain Thomas Stalker.

Hearn is pleased to have the bouts go ahead in Bolton despite Haye’s withdrawal from the original Manchester bill.

He said: “We had been working on a great undercard for the Haye fight so it made sense to continue with the show and to keep it in Greater Manchester.

“Rees v Crolla has all the makings of a classic, and Lee Selby will face a big step up in class on the bill.”

l Tickets for the Bolton Arena bill are on sale now priced £40, £70 ringside and £120 VIP. They are available at www.matchroomboxing.com or by calling 01277 359900.