Henry Wharton's triple-crown mission may be the appetiser to the biggest world title feast this side of the Millennium.

Henry Wharton

The York ace is back preparing for his long-awaited crack at Leeds-based warrior Crawford Ashley, the reigning European, British and Commonwealth light-heavyweight champion.

Originally due to fight last month, the pride of Yorkshire duel was put back to next January by Wharton's eye injury sustained two months ago.

Now it has been shelved until February at the earliest because Ashley's partner is due to have a baby in January. But Wharton and his trainer Gary Atkin confirmed that talks are now going on to delay the cherished confrontation yet further until spring.

That would enable the all-Yorkshire tilt at three major crowns to figure on the same March 13 night as the world heavyweight unification bout between Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield.

The plan would be for the Wharton-Ashley scrap to headline a top-class British bill as a major attraction for Sky Television, who would then switch their coverage across the Atlantic to the heavyweight battle scheduled for Madison Square Gardens.

If such a deal was secured then York's leading warrior and his Leeds counterpart would be catapulted to the vanguard of world boxing on a night when millions of fight fans around the globe will be tuned in to boxing's keenest collision.

Wharton and Ashley are gearing themselves up for a February showdown.

But Atkin said the possibility of the fight going back just a few more weeks to headline a domestic bill before a trans-Atlantic switch was being considered by Lewis' manager Frank Maloney, who is presently in the United States.

Enthused Wharton: "It would certainly be a high-profile night on which to fight. I'm getting myself ready for February, but the March date would make more sense if it can be arranged."

He and his trainer were convinced of the pulling power of the challenge to Wharton's three titles.

"It would fill a venue out for sure," insisted Atkin, who added: "It could be a top of the bill package over here before Sky then going across to the States for live action from the Lewis-Holyfield bout."

Wharton has now fully recovered from the eye injury he sustained in his British debut as a light-heavyweight at York's Barbican Centre in September.

Wharton stopped powerful Ukrainian Konstantin Ohkrey, but in so doing suffered a nasty gash above his right eye which needed five stitches.

A slow recovery - the cut was still weeping blood two weeks after initial treatment - forced the postponement of his challenge to Ashley's three titles originally earmarked for November 21.

But the York star has since been given the all-clear to resume training by a specialist and now his gaze is fixed firmly on his Leeds rival.

Should he prevail over Ashley in what would be a contender for the domestic fight of the year Wharton would create ring history.

Victory would give him the distinction of being the only man to have won all three European, British and Commonwealth belts at two different weights after originally lifting all three at super-middleweight.

But ruling the world motivates Wharton the strongest, especially after enduring three points' losses in his attempts at capturing the world super-middleweight crown.

Another delay now might enable Wharton to steal a march on his world dream.

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