MIDLANDS Area boxing light-welterweight champion Billy Smith has set his sights on becoming the English champion before dropping down to lightweight.

The 29-year-old saw off veteran Carl Allen in a bruising 10-round battle at the International Convention Centre, Birmingham, in the first defence of the belt he won in March after beating Baz Carey.

Now the Warndon boxer wants the winner of the English title bout between Lenny Daws and Nigel Wright, which takes place on November 2 at the Ice Arena in Nottingham.

"Having this title can open up things for me and I want to go for the English title," Smith said.

"I was supposed to be fighting Baz but I'm sure that I had a harder night with Carl because he has a very hard right hook.

"Carl has been in with some very good names and he gave me a good fight."

Smith will return to the ring on October 5 when he faces unbeaten Irish lightweight Andrew Murray in an eight-round contest.

"The plan is to drop down to lightweight in the future," the 29-year-old said.

"I'm making the 10-stone limit too easily - I'm eating takeaways in the build-up.

"I don't intend going up to welterweight, but by dropping down a weight hopefully it will make me more powerful."

The points victory over Allen, 97-96, was Smith's first victory in six fights although he has gone up against new WBA light-welterweight champion Gavin Rees during that time.

While Wolverhampton boxer Allen has lost 58 of his 83 fights, the veteran has faced some quality opponents throughout his career in the likes of Duke McKenzie, Scott Lawton, Bradley Pryce and Scott Harrison as well as Rees.

Smith's victory in the 10-round fight also saw him named as www.britishboxing. net's boxer of the week.