Commonwealth super lightweight champion, Jack Rafferty, will step up to the welterweight division in Liverpool on June 29. Rafferty will fight India’s Sabari Jaishankar, 11-2 (5 KOs), for the IBO Continental welterweight title on a Conlan Boxing show and will be broadcast live on DAZN. 

Rafferty, 22-0 (13 KOs), won the Commonwealth 140lb title last December by taking out the respected Lee Appleyard inside a round. The 28-year-old “Demolition Man” from Shaw should find himself right in the mix for a British title shot if and when current champion, Dalton Smith, vacates the title and moves on to the world stage but his manager, Tom Stalker, believes that the fight with Jaishankar provides him with the ideal chance to stay busy and build his profile in the meantime.

“He will go back down to super lightweight after this fight. We’ve got his opponent all locked in but he’s headlining on DAZN and it’s an amazing opportunity for him and one he deserves,” Stalker told BoxingScene.

“He is ready to go. We want to fight the best in Britain at super lightweight. It’s as simple as that. I understand boxing and I’m not just saying it but look at Jack Catterall and Josh Taylor at the weekend. They are two of the best fighters in the world but Jack can get there. He just needs a few more fights. I believe he’s one of the most exciting fighters in Britain.”