Henry Wharton's ring return will be a family affair, the Evening Press can reveal.

HEADING FOR LONDON: York boxer Henry Wharton

The York boxing king's comeback fight has been agreed for April 29 in an eliminator for the British, Commonwealth and European light-heavyweight belts with Londoner Mark Delaney.

And joining Wharton on the Wembley Arena bill will be his cousin, Bridlington-based George Robshaw, in his first professional fight.

The family fight-night offers crowd-pleaser Wharton, whose training programme has been hit by a bout of gastro-enteritis which threatens the forthcoming fight, the chance of massive coverage around the world.

It will be beamed live by Sky Television, serving on the British undercard for the undisputed world heavyweight showdown between Lennox Lewis and Michael Grant in Madison Square Garden, New York.

Topping the bill at Wembley will be Birmingham's Robert McCraken's challenge for American southpaw Keith Holmes' World Boxing Council middleweight belt.

But the Delaney-Wharton scrap could prove the fight of the night.

Delaney will certainly offer York ace Wharton a stiff challenge in his first fight since beating Ukranainian Konstantin Ohkrey in September 1998.

The 28-year-old has suffered just three defeats in 24 contests and is a former World Boxing Organisation Inter-continental super-middleweight champion.

Wharton's 1996 bid for the British super-middleweight crown ended in defeat at the hands of Joe Calzaghe, who is the current holder of the WBO title.

If Wharton overcomes Delaney, the three-times world title challenger will earn a tilt at Sheffield's Clinton Woods' hat-trick of titles.

Woods is also due to fight on the Wembley bill, defending his European belt against Norway's Ole Klemetsen.

Wharton, who previously held the British, Commonwealth and European crowns at super-middleweight, announced he was hanging up his gloves in January last year.

His retirement came just weeks before he was due to fight Leeds' Crawford Ashley for the same three titles at light-heavyweight - ending his chance of becoming the first fighter in history to hold all three titles at different weights.

Fellow York light-heavyweight contender Jamie Warters - a prospective future opponent for Wharton - is currently serving as a sparring partner for Ashley at his training camp in Tenerife.

Ashley is to fight ring legend Thomas 'the Hit Man' Hearns in Detroit on March 25 and has also been earmarked as another possible contender for Wharton.

Scarborough's world featherweight champion Paul Ingle was today set to confirm he will be fighting on the Lewis v Grant undercard in New York.

As exclusively revealed in the Evening Press, Ingle will make his first defence of his International Boxing Federation title against Junior Jones at the mecca of boxing Madison Square Garden. It will be the first time Ingle has fought abroad since turning professional.

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