MARTIN Murray will be chief support on the bill of Anthony Crolla's WBA World lightweight title defence against Ismael Barroso at the Manchester Arena on May 7.

And promoter Eddie Hearn flagged the return to the ring of two-weight World title challenger Murray as a prelude to hunting a showdown with Londoner George Groves.

“This is going to be a wonderful night in Manchester,” said Hearn.

“Anthony’s fight with Ismael is a fantastic one. Ismael is without doubt the most dangerous man in the 135lbs division, but Anthony is not scared of anyone, and he believes that he’s got the goods to beat him and go on to unify the division.

“There’s a stacked undercard which we will be adding to ahead of the night, but it’s great to have Martin Murray back as we close in on securing a great fight with George Groves."

All the speculation points to an all-British meeting between the two super middleweights in June or July.

The Manchester hero Crolla makes the first defence of the title he won in stunning fashion with a fifth round KO win over Darleys Perez in their rematch in November, and takes on the power-punching Barroso in a chilling test of his credentials as a World ruler.

Tickets are on general sale £40, £60, £80 and £100 www.manchester-arena.com or by calling 0844 847 8000. VIPs are available exclusively through www.matchroomboxing.com priced at £200.

Tickets for May 7 are also available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ - StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing and Anthony Joshua MBE.