BOXING: Irish heavyweight Kevin McBride will be part of one of the biggest boxing shows in a decade when he takes on British heavyweightchampion Matt Skelton on December 10th in London.

McBride's fight is on the same card as that of 2000 Olympic champion Audley Harrison, who faces former British champion Danny Williams.

Both McBride and Williams shot to fame in recent years when they beat Mike Tyson, McBride's unforeseen win arriving in Washington last June.

Harrison has recently patched up his relationship with promoter Frank Warren, whose disparaging nickname for the Olympic gold medallist "Fraudly Harrison", struck a chord with fight fans as the heavyweight repeatedly failed to find serious opponents during a stint in the US.

Promoters Sports Network have put together an attractive fight card that sees Skelton face McBride for the vacant WBU World heavyweight title.

The show also features the London professional debut of Amir Khan, the teenage 2004 Olympic silver medallist.

Further title fights include Belfast's Eamonn Magee, who takes on Iranian-born Takaloo for the WBU world welterweight title.

Magee famously came back from a terrible street beating in Belfast during which he was struck with baseball bats. So serious were his injuries doctors believed he would never fight again.

Takaloo is a dangerous opponent for the Irishman as middleweight champion and Dubliner Jim Rock well knows. Takaloo is the only fighter to have put Rock on the canvas throughout a long and distinguished career.