Go west warrior Henry Wharton has his sights trained on another big fight-night in his home city of York.

As Wharton prepared to wow America on his professional debut in front of the world's biggest boxing audience he looked ahead to again starring in the city, where his ringcraft prowess first came to the fore.

It was a goal favoured too by Wharton's Gary Atkin, both men declaring their faith in the city's Barbican Centre to host a major boxing show this summer.

A robust return to York hinges on how Wharton fares in his first-ever professional crack in the United States, where in just over 24 hours he debuts as a light-heavyweight against North Carolina opponent Franklin Charles Edmundson.

The duo come together in Atlantic City as a non-attraction on the undercard of the Lennox Lewis defence of his World Boxing Council heavyweight champion against Shannon Briggs.

Sheffield's veteran pugilist Herol 'Bomber' Graham completes the three-pronged English 'strike-team' when he makes what will likely be his final attempt at a world title, challenging International Boxing Federation super-middleweight belt-holder Charles 'The Hatchet' Brewer.

Said Wharton: "Depending on how it goes in Atlantic City I would love to come back and fight again at the Barbican Centre.

"Lewis' manager Frank Maloney is keen to have me on Lewis' bill, but while talks are going on about that it would be great to be back in action at York."

Since making his debut at the Barbican Centre against Nicky Walker in 1992, Wharton has fought a total of six times in York, winning all those bouts. If the York ace's new career as light-heavyweight takes off with a bang in America then a Barbican date may be likely in May or June.

That would then fit in with the projected next outing for Lewis. Provided he disposes of Briggs in Atlantic City Lewis is expected to defend his WBC heavyweight crown in July, either in London or the Marbella bull-fighting ring that hosted a clash for ex-world champion Lloyd Honeyghan in 1987.

Atkin took up the York attraction. Wharton's trainer enthused: "Hopefully, Henry will be sorting something out with Maloney after this Atlantic City fight.

"But we would love to put a show on in York at the Barbican Centre. It's a great venue and Henry has enjoyed some good nights there. We are certain we would sell it out.

"Besides Henry we could have some of the other boxers such as Denzil Browne and Michael Gale on the bill, and we would also look to getting Scarborough's Paul Ingle there as well with him already on Maloney's books."

Ingle, the reigning Commonwealth featherweight champion, who gave up his British crown last month, fights on the British half of the Saturday night-Sunday morning transatlantic at Hull's Ice Arena before the action switches 5,000 miles away to Atlantic City.

In America, Graham, 38, believes he can finally win a world title at third attempt, against a man who is suspect to left-handers.

"He has all sorts of problems with southpaws,"said Graham, who lost a decision to Mike McCallum in 1989 and was knocked out in 1990 by Julian Jackson.

But Brewer has other ideas. "I really don't know what he has to feel confident about," he said.

"He has had two world championship bouts and both times he has come up short."

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