SOUTHAMPTON boxers Colin Kenna and Matthew Barney will share top billing on August 1 at the home of British boxing - the York Hall in Bethnal Green.

British super-middleweight champion Barney takes on Ghana's Charles Adamu for the vacant Commonwealth title, while unbeaten Lordswood heavyweight Kenna fights Reading's Michael Sprott for the Southern Area crown.

Kenna admits it will be a great honour to fight at east London's world famous boxing venue on a bill due to be screened on BBC.

He said: "It's fantastic to top the bill at the York Hall. It is certainly the heart of boxing in Britain and I have been there a few times to watch fights and the atmosphere is always electric.

"Every boxing fan knows all about the York Hall so it should be a really good night. There are loads of people from Southampton coming so hopefully I should also have plenty of support."

The 27-year-old's training programme is already well under way, which includes daily 5am jogs around Southampton Common.

He added: "I'm into the third week of training. For the moment I am still working on getting my fitness right, then probably from next week I will look to get some good quality sparring, probably up in London.

"You don't want to peak to soon, so you have to time when you do your sparring quite carefully.

"I'm doing six miles every morning. It gives me a mental edge to be out there running and training when I know he is in bed. At 5am the air is also much better as there are no car fumes."