JACK Cullen is under no illusions about the significance of his fight in Liverpool tonight.

Little Lever’s Meat Cleaver makes his bow on the big stage when he defends his English middleweight title against John Harding Jnr live on Sky Sports.

The Tommy Battel-trained fighter, who has lost just one of 17 contests as a professional, has worked his way through the rankings on smaller shows around the North West.

And having won the English strap with a knockout win against Jack Sellars in front of a raucous home at the Bolton Whites Hotel in May, Cullen is now ready to make a name for himself in front of a national TV audience.

“This is a really important fight for my career,” said the 25-year-old, who saw a Commonwealth title fight with Felix Cash postponed last month. 

“I’m just glad that John Harding Jnr has taken this fight. I am the English Middleweight champion and I’m staying the English Middleweight champion. That’s a fact.

“I’ve trained hard so it doesn’t matter who you fight, as long as you train hard and you put the time and effort in.

“I can beat anyone, I’m ready. I’ll have a lot of fans in there, it’s going to be a good night.”

Cullen, pictured above, who has seven stoppages on his record, faces an ambitious challenger in Brixton’s Harding Jnr, managed by heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte.

The 34-year-old has won seven and drawn one of his eight fights but is not fazed by stepping up to take on the Bolton favourite at the Exhibition Centre.

“I’m so thankful,” said Harding Jnr.

“When this opportunity came I just said ‘yes’ straight away.

“As soon as they said who it would be against I said ‘yes I can take him’.

“It just fits so right with the situation of my life and my story.

“He’s got more experience than me and had more fights. I’m coming to take his crown and win. I just feel fired up about being the underdog right now.

“My heart is blazing and I’m ready for war. I’m just ready to go in there, all guns blazing. It’s going to be a good fight, it’s going to be war.”

Cullen’s meeting with Harding Jnr is part of Matchroom Boxing’s JD NXTGEN card in Liverpool.

Home favourite Anthony Fowler’s meeting with Blackpool’s former world title challenger Brian Rose headlines the show.

Lewis Ritson, Martin Bakole and Robbie Davies Jnr are also all in action.

Cullen’s fight will be live on Sky Sports with the broadcast starting at 7pm.