YORK cruiserweight Jamie Warters is to be handed a gruelling schedule in a bid to push him towards a shot at the British title.

The Jorvik Warrior was due to step back into the ring on March 20, but that night of action has been pushed back until April 3 - with manager/trainer Steve Pollard lining up a second fight for two weeks later.

The plans also include Warters fighting in May - making it three fights in a six-week spell - and again on June 12. Long-term, Pollard wants Warters fighting for an Area crown within eight months and the British title - currently held by Bruce Scott - in 18 months, while there is a little matter of a rematch against Tony Booth.

The Hull-based battler overcame Warters on points in the Warrior's first fight back in two years, but the pair are due to meet again in October or November.

As reported in the Evening Press, Birmingham journeyman Michael Pinnock looks set to be the first fight for Warters - now to be a dinner show at Willerby Manor - with other opponents to be decided on how well that bout goes.

Pollard told the Evening Press: "We had to reschedule the fight, but now we are going to get Jamie to fight twice in a fortnight.

"We are looking at Michael Pinnock for the first fight. He is a tough kid, an experienced fighter, but if Jamie can't beat him then, to be honest, he is not going to go anywhere.

"We will assess the other fights from there. If he is poor then I'd have to look at things, but if he completely destroys him then we will have to step things up a notch or two.

"The thing is with Jamie is that he over-trains. He is a dream to train, he works hard and listens, but he perhaps over does it.

"He will go away and train over a weekend when I've told him to rest - he is a human being, not a machine. He admitted that he had over-trained for the Booth fight, and that is why he was a little flat on the night after he had looked a $1million in the gym.

"It is a tough schedule, but with Jamie this is the best way to do it. He loves training, training, training, but that can make him stale. He needs to be active and has been let down by his inactivity in the past."

"I want to see him in for the British title within 18 months, but we'll look at getting him a shot at an area crown in eight or nine months."

For ticket details for Warters' fight on April 3, please contact 01904 708709 for more information.

Updated: 09:43 Saturday, March 08, 2003