SHAYNE Singleton is gearing up for the ‘biggest night of his career’ after he was named as chief support act for David Haye’s eagerly anticipated comeback at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday, January 16.

The 26-year-old will fight London-based Irishman John O’Donnell in a British welterweight title eliminator at the 20,000-capacity venue, before the Hayemaker returns to the ring against Australia’s Mark De Mori.

Singleton, from Colne, only received the offer to fight O’Donnell, who has 30 wins from 32 fights, last Wednesday, but said he was ‘over the moon’ when the shot at returning to the top of the domestic scene came up.

“It’s going to be the biggest night of my career by a long way,” he said.

Singleton, nicknamed Shayne ‘The Pain’, has been keeping sharp in the gym over Christmas, and his last outing was less than a month ago, an eighth round stoppage off Gary Cooper at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens.

“I spoke to my promoter about 15 minutes before about a show in February at Wigan. Then 10 or 15 minutes later I got this text about the 16th January bill. I said yes, let’s get it on, but I didn’t know it was on the Haye bill or what it was for, I just wanted the fight because I’d been in the gym over Christmas.”

It’s a big leap for Singleton from venues such as the Colne Muni and King George’s Hall, as well as a step up in class again in the 147lb division. And while he admits having just two weeks' preparation for such a huge fight isn’t ideal, he is confident of getting the job done.

“It’s a massive step up in venue and the bill I’m on my own and opponent wise,” he said. “On paper this is going to be my hardest test to date. It’s going to be a tough night but I’m 100 per cent confident of doing a job on him.

“He’s a very slippery southpaw. You want weeks and weeks to prepare for a southpaw like that to work on your game plan over and over again and we’ve got to fit it in the space of two weeks.

“But I’ve never had problems with southpaws before, I’ve always managed to suss them out and I think it’s going to be another one on the list.

“You normally have 10 weeks to prepare for it, then in the fight it comes naturally because you’ve been doing it time and time again in the gym. This time we’ve only got two weeks, we’re trying to squeeze it all in and hope it comes naturally in the ring.”

Victory over O’Donnell could see Singleton earn a rematch with Sam Eggington, who beat the Colne man for the International Silver welterweight title in Hull last March.

The 22-year-old, a rising star in the domestic scene, is now British champion, although he faces a defence against Bradley Skeete first.

“You’ve got to take risks. This fight is a massive risk for me but it’s come at a good time, even if I could have done with those extra eight weeks,” said Singleton.

“If I win it bangs me straight up there in the British scene. I’ve earned my shot. I’d love to fight Eggington again but I need to earn my shot again because he beat me, he beat me in five rounds. So I would have to do something pretty good to earn my shot again, but this could earn me my shot because it’s a British title eliminator.”