JON-LEWIS Dickinson is hoping his bad luck is behind him as he prepares to fight fellow North-Easterner David Dolan in the feature bout at tomorrow's Summer Rumble at the Stadium of Light.

Durham-born Dickinson takes on Sunderland's Dolan in a ten-round cruiserweight contest, with the winner expected to challenge for the British title before the end of the year.

The 25-year-old was tipped for big things when he saw off Mark Krence, Leon Williams and Nick Okoth to claim the Cruiserweight Prizefighters crown in April 2010.

But he lost his next contest with Tyrone Wright after suffering swelling beneath his left eye, and was forced to retire from last September's fight with Richard Turba after breaking his jaw.

He was set to win both bouts before injury intervened, and with tomorrow's showpiece representing something of a last chance for both competitors, is hoping his luck has finally turned.

"This is a really good fight for me to come back to," said Dickinson. "If I can win, it's going to put me back to where I want to be. I could have taken an easier fight, but I wouldn't have done that.

"He's (Dolan) coming off the back of a loss and I've had a lot of bad luck since the Prizefighter. Both fights I was winning comfortably, but I had to pull out through injury. There's nothing you can do about it.

"Before that, I'd never really had much bad luck since I turned pro. It seems like it's all come at once, but hopefully that's it now.

"Frank Maloney's putting a show on in September (in Doncaster) and if I win this one, I'll be pushing him to get me a British title fight there. There's no messing about any more, I just want to get on with it."

It has taken almost nine months for Dickinson's jaw to recover to an adequate level for him to reenter the ring.

The Birtley Boxing Club fighter has won eight of his ten fights since turning professional, but claims to be in better shape now than ever before.

"I've matured a lot in the time I've had off," said Dickinson, who was cruiserweight champion at the 2007 ABAs. "I'm bigger and stronger now, so it's seemed to work out well.

"Back when I got the broken jaw, it was the worst thing that ever could have happened to me, but I've just been in the gym ticking over when I couldn't fight.

"Now, everything feels better and I've moved on to another level. It's been a blessing in disguise."

Dolan is also looking to bounce back from a disappointment tomorrow, having lost to Terry Dunstan in an English cruiserweight title fight at Rainton Meadows Arena last December.

The former Commonwealth gold medallist drew with Rob Norton when challenging for the British and Commonwealth title in January 2010, and tomorrow will be his first meeting with Dickinson.

"The only time I've come close to fighting David was in my first year at the ABAs," said Dickinson. "Everyone else from the North-East who could have entered pulled out, including David, so I was the only one left. David was concentrating on international stuff at the time.

"He's got a lot of age on me, and not long after that he turned pro. We've sparred plenty of times but you don't really show it all when you do that.

"But I've still seen enough of him to be confident I can handle him and get the win."