The 36-year-old former World Boxing Foundation welterweight champion will fight Argentina's Aldo Rios in the Newcastle Jockey Club betting-cum-boxing ring on Saturday, November 21, for the International Boxing Organisation inter-continental junior welterweight belt.

Having lasted nine rounds of a World Boxing Union light welterweight title fight with former IBO world champion Ricky Hatton in 2003, Rios has a career record of 46 wins from 50 pro bouts.

A year after fighting Hatton, Rios knocked out Welshman Jason Cook in the third of 12 scheduled rounds to win the IBO world lightweight title.

In 1999, he went the distance with American Stevie Johnston for the World Boxing Council lightweight belt but lost a unanimous points decision.

"The IBO's one of the biggest organisations, so a win here would put me in the big time," Bennett said. "No one in Newcastle has ever fought anyone of this calibre."

Bennett dreams of a fairytale win and a rematch with Thailand's Sirimongkol Singwancha, the two-time former world champion whose first-round knockout in Newcastle in May last year almost ended Bennett's career.

If he beats Rios, Bennett hopes to fight Singwancha in Newcastle next year for the IBO world junior welterweight title now held by Manny Pacquiao.

"If he gets past Miguel Cotto, Pacquiao's going up in weight to fight Floyd Mayweather, so that would declare the belt vacant and there's a good chance I'll fight Singwancha for that here at the NJC," Bennett said.

He broke new ground last year by fighting in the Boiler Room, a one-off venue at Honeysuckle, as he will by christening the NJC "Glasshouse".

"Live boxing's never been held at the NJC before and they've been very supportive," Bennett said.

"It's the most important fight of my career and if we can get the right corporate support and I do my bit, there's a good chance we can get that Singwancha fight here at the NJC."

NJC marketing manager Sue Skeen said yesterday that staging a boxing program was "an exciting new venture".