Former cruiserweight world champion and Sky Sports boxing pundit Johnny Nelson pinpoints 'niche' chance Portsmouth's Mikey McKinson can seize should he continue upward career trajectory

That's the view of the longest reigning world cruiserweight champion of all-time and Sky Sports boxing pundit Johnny Nelson – although he told the 22-0 professional not to ‘run before he can walk’ in his pursuit to reach the top of the welterweight division.

Proud Portsmouth servant McKinson, 27, is beginning to make some serious noise for his city and is just off the back of a US debut victory over American southpaw Alex Martin in Los Angeles last month.

But the tricky southpaw, nicknamed the Pompey Problem, has had very few top level fighters from his region to look up to on his rise up the welterweight rankings.

SEE ALSO: Portsmouth's Mikey McKinson has Las Vegas in his sights on the back of ground-breaking American adventure - and future Fratton Park occasion as he bids to tick off big-name venues and sweep aside 'world-class' opposition

Other than Tony Oakey, the Leigh Park fighter who collected English, British, Commonwealth and WBU world light-heavyweight title glory across a glittering career, the city has long failed to produce a serious contender at the peak of their powers in the sport.

Even on a broader south coast spectrum, there has been a limit to boxing stars who have gone onto become household names, with former two-weight world champion Chris Eubank and son Chris Eubank Jr both based out of Brighton.

But Sheffield-based Nelson, who recently headed along to Bognor Boxing Club to host a training session with some promising area prospects as a special guest star as part of a promotion with Worcester Bosch installing a brand-new boiler at the gym, says McKinson should be relishing the chance to provide his area the next star to look up to and become the one they all want to emulate across the southern region.

‘If McKinson keeps doing what he’s doing and trudging along, this kid can take advantage of such a niche down where he lives because there’s nothing else there. It’s just time and patience,’ said Nelson.

‘As long as he keeps that work ethic and he’s advised by the right people in regards to what he’s doing – that’s a big thing – he’ll do alright.

‘You look at Brighton, people who go down to Brighton because of the Eubanks, before that who even went to Brighton for boxing?

‘Down on the south coast, people don’t realise what is down there, they need someone or something to capture people’s imagination to think, ‘let me go down there and have a look’. It’s not just good for boxing, it’s good for business all-round.’

McKinson propelled himself onto the domestic stage by defeating Chris Kongo for the WBO Global welterweight crown on top promoter Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing show in Gibraltar in March last year.

Then, his potential career-changing moment was meant to arrive last month, only for 18-0 perfect knock-out pro Vergil Ortiz to pull out of their scheduled LA bout - with Martin stepping up at short notice.

Now Nelson, who held the WBO world cruiserweight title for six years after defeating Carl Thompson in 1999 to collect the crown, reckons McKinson needs to claim victory over a big-name star to really make the boxing world take notice.

‘Amir (Khan), Marku (Florian), Conor Benn - Conor is the one. Conor is like his dad (Nigel), he’s got the name, he’s got the ferocity - you get through Conor then people know who you are because Conor is the biggest name in that division,’ Nelson added.

‘He’s (McKinson) past a stage where he can be thinking, ‘I’ll just take this for a warm-up fight or whatever,’ he needs to be in a position where every fight means something.

‘He’s got to beat an ex-champion - that’s what I’d do - I’d fight someone who’s been there so people can make the comparison and it puts your name on the map.

‘He’s got to keep doing what he’s doing, don’t rush, you can get all giddy then you’re running before you can walk.

‘When his opportunity comes, he needs to makes sure he’s ticked every box to believe that he belongs there, that’s how he’s got to drop it.’