Tom Doran will face Irishman Luke Keeler in a Prizefighter rematch when the Deeside star makes his ring return in Liverpool next month.

Doran – who holds the longest unbeaten run in Welsh boxing with 16 straight victories – inflicted Keeler’s only defeat as a professional in the Prizefighter Middleweights III tournament last February.

The Connah’s Quay man, 28, went on to beat Cello Renda in the final at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens to claim the Prizefighter title, earning £32,000 and a £2,000 knock-out bonus in the process.

Doran’s sensational performance live on Sky Sports reignited a career that stalled when he took an indefinite break from the sport in 2011 and raised his profile.

He followed up his Prizefighter win with back-to-back stoppage victories against Mike Byles and Rod Smith as he continues to climb the domestic rankings.

Following his defeat to Doran, Keeler, who has since beaten Jason Ball and Adam Jones on points, said he had broken his hand and the 28-year-old from Dublin is confident he will avenge the loss.

Promoter Eddie Hearn announced the rematch between Doran and Keeler on Tuesday with the contest to take place at the Echo Arena on April 2.

Doran said on Twitter: “This is a great fight for the fans and one I am more than confident of winning.”

In pictures: Tom Doran wins the Prizefighter Middleweights tournament

The bout features on the undercard of the final eliminator for the WBC World super-middleweight title between Merseyside’s unbeaten star Callum Smith and Frenchman Hadillah Mohoumadi, who also puts his European belt on the line.

Rocky Fielding takes on former European champion Christopher Rebrasse, who has been in with both Smith and George Groves, while Scotty Cardle and Sean ‘Masher’ Dodd meet again in another rematch for Cardle’s British lightweight title following an epic encounter back in November, which Cardle won with a final-round stoppage.

Doran and Keeler are expected to be fighting for an international title and victory for Doran would take him a step closer to a potential shot at the British middleweight belt. Current champion Nick Blackwell puts his strap on the line against Chris Eubank Jr in London later this month.

  • Tickets for next month’s Liverpool show featuring the rematch with Keeler start from £40 and are now available from Doran’s new website www.dazzlindoran.com.