Press Release: Wayne Elcock is even more fired up for his first British middleweight title defense against Darren McDermott on Friday June 20, 2008 because his opponent's camp tried to get him stripped of the belt.  Elcock faces McDermott, the "Black Country Body Snatcher" in the biggest all-Midlands fight for years on a Hennessy Sports show. 'The Battle of the Midlands' will be Elcock's first fight since being beaten in a shot at IBF world champion ‘King’ Arthur Abraham in December and will be screened live by Sky Sports. The fight had been scheduled to take place at the Aston Events Centre in Birmingham on April 26th but Elcock had to withdraw from the title defence due to a chest infection.

Elcock (Birmingham, 18-3) insisted he would not have recovered from illness for a proposed new date of 30th May but McDermott's manager Dean Powell then objected to the British Boxing Board of Control and suggested Elcock be stripped of the title.

The complaint came to nothing and the Hennessy Sports event has now been moved to Friday 20th June at the SkyDome Arena Coventry where Elcock won the title when he out-pointed Howard Eastman in September.

'Mad Dog' Elcock is now looking forward to getting it on with Midlands rival McDermott (Dudley, 14-0).

"I had a chest infection and there was no way I could have been fit four weeks later,” said Birmingham City fan Elcock.

"They wanted me stripped and it infuriated me and a lot of my camp. Now I just can’t wait to get it on with the kid.

"I’ve never ducked out of fighting anyone and took on the best world middleweight champion in my last fight, so why would I duck out of facing Darren?

"I was genuinely ill and still not right on that date anyway. People were saying I could've got ready in four weeks but it wasn't like I'd just spent three weeks in the Bahamas.

“This is the biggest all-Midlands fight for a while since the likes of Rob McCracken which was over ten years ago now. This is the start of glorious reign for me and I will be looking to climb back to the top."