KEVIN MITCHELL is happy to play a supporting role on the night Amir Khan bids for the WBO light-welterweight crown at Manchester s MEN Arena on July 18, but is looking forward to being the star of the show when he makes his own world title bid in Septembe

KEVIN MITCHELL is happy to play a supporting role on the night Amir Khan bids for the WBO light-welterweight crown at Manchester's MEN Arena on July 18, but is looking forward to being the star of the show when he makes his own world title bid in September, writes LEN WHALEY.

The British super-featherweight champion is booked for an eight-round supporting contest on the Manchester show, when the Bolton star challenges Andreas Kotelnik for the WBA light-welterweight title on Frank Warren's big promotion.

However, Warren has already pencilled in the undefeated Mitchell's own world title challenge two months later, when he is scheduled to challenge Puerto Rican Roman 'Rocky' Martinez for the WBO super featherweight crown on a big-time London show, after boxing's summer siesta.

The powerful British champion, with 28 straight wins to his credit, has already been recognised as the official WBO number one challenger to the Puerto Rican champion - who took the crown from Mitchell's close friend and stablemate Nicky Cook with a fourth-round victory at the MEN Arena in March.

"Frank Warren has already opened negotiations with the Puerto Ricans, and our our world title fight is all set to happen on a show in September," said Mitchell, who earned amateur honours at the West Ham BC.

Confident Kevin insists the world title is his for the taking: "I don't just feel, I know, I will beat Martinez and my close friend Nicky Cook would have if done too, had he not strayed from the game-plan and got caught.

"Of course, I was gutted when Nicky was beaten by Martinez, as he is my friend, but if he had won and stayed world champion, a fight between us would have been unlikely and a long way off as we share a trainer, Paul Cook, and go back a long way."

First comes his warm-up clash on the world title promotion in Manchester which has been switched from London's O2 Arena, where it was due to be staged last Saturday night, when the world light-welterweight champion suffered a tooth infection.

With the Dockland's Arena earlier booked for July 18, promoter Warren decided to switch the whole bill north to the MEN arena.

Also on the delayed show, Mitchell's welterweight stablemate Michael Lomax makes a challenge against Sheffield star Kell Brook for the British welterweight championship on an attractive undercard.

However, the move to Manchester means disappointment for younger brother Vinnie Mitchell, who was booked for a supporting bout on the 02 Arena promotion, but will now have to wait until September for the chance to extend his own unbeaten record.

The July 18 supporting bill includes the Commonwealth light-middleweight title clash between Manchester's Matthew Hall and Londoner Anthony Small.

Also booked on the night are the promoter's Olympic trio James DeGale, Billy Joe Saunders and Frankie Gavin.