Paul Stevenson is currently applying the finishing touches to Nick Ball's preparations for his upcoming WBA featherweight title defence against Australia's Sam Goodman but the Liverpool-based trainer has two other fighters grinding away in his Everton Red Triangle gym whom he expects to be competing for world honours before too long.

One of those fighters is undefeated British and Commonwealth bantamweight champion, Andrew Cain (14-1, 12 KOs). The dangerous 28-year-old Liverpudlian last saw action in March when he successfully navigated 12 frustrating rounds with the negative Charlie Edwards to win the WBC's Silver title at 118lbs.

Cain is ranked at No. 3 by the WBC, No. 5 by the WBO and No. 8 by the IBF and Stevenson revealed that he is set to climb at least one set of those rankings later this autumn.

"He's due to have a world title eliminator. It was supposed to be in August but it looks like being late September, early October. He's just been promoted to No. 3 with the WBC and is nearly there," Stevenson told The Ring.

"He's in a very good position. The right fights are important and making them happen at the right date. He's just waiting now but he's been training. Hopefullly, we'll get news on the date soon, probably be October.

"He's right there, Andrew, and ready to go. He'll take this fight and then he can get a world title fight in his next one."

When it was announced, Cain's fight with former IBF flyweight champion Edwards grabbed the attention of British boxing insiders keen to see how the fiery, aggressive Cain would handle the calculating, clever Edwards.

As it was, Edwards tried to pinch a decision and did all he could to avoid any meaningful exchanges. Cain showed his improvement by pressing rather than chasing and taking the opportunities that presented themselves rather than forcing them.

Although Cain didn't make the impression he would have liked, the fight was a useful exercise in composure and patience. Two qualities that could come in handy when he does graduate to top world level as fighters and trainers plan to take away his power.

"It was good maturity because it's all too easy to play into the hands of someone like that, isn't it?" Stevenson said.

"Andrew did pretty much as much as he could do without giving away the fight and Edwards did as much as he could do without getting knocked out. It was just one of them fights.

"On paper it was Andrew's best win anyway, so we're happy. It was a good win and sometimes you can dominate someone without landing the shot."

Another of Stevenson's world title hopes in Peter McGrail (12-1, 6 KOs) has made it through a frustrating 12 months.

Last December, the 29-year-old junior featherweight was due to box then-European champion Dennis McCann (16-0-1, 8 KOs) on the Oleksandr Usyk-Tyson Fury II undercard.

Just days before the fight, news broke that McCann had returned an adverse finding on a pre-fight VADA test and he was removed from the card. McGrail remained on the show and battled his way to a hard-fought decision over quality late opponent, Rhys Edwards, at junior lightweight.

Earlier this year, McGrail was just weeks away from an intriguing clash with the talented Shabaz Masoud (14-0, 4 KOs) when the undeaten IBO champion suffered an undisclosed injury in training and withdrew from the fight.

McGrail accepted another thankless task and boxed his way to a points win over the awkward Romanian Ionut Baluta; a man awarded a pair of controversial split decision victories over his gymmates Cain and Brad Strand in recent years.

"Baluta's like an ugly duckling. He's not pretty to watch but he's effective and hard to box against. What people don't realise with him, he looks like an aggressive wild man but he's really a counter puncher," Stevenson said.

"I know him better than I know anyone so it was a good win for Peter. He's just done what he had to do, boxed fairly well and that's pretty much as good as I've seen anyone handle Baluta apart from Andrew, who nearly blew the fella out in a round but, even then, one of the judges gave it a draw."

The momentary lapse in concentration that led to McGrail getting unexpectedly knocked out by Ja'Rico O'Quinn back in December 2023 is arguably the only mistake the elite amateur has made over the course of his 13-fight professional career and he has rebounded well from the setback.

He attempted to set the record straight in an immediate rematch but O'Quinn (17-1-1, 9 KOs) withdrew from an agreed date and hasn't boxed since.

Undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue (30-0, 27 KOs) is due to defend his titles against Murodjon Akhmadaliev on September 14 and has been linked to a move up to featherweight and potential fight with another of Stevenson's fighters in champion Ball.

Whatever Inoue decides to do, Stevenson wants McGrail to continue climbing the world rankings and position himself for a title shot.

"We just want to advance. I think he's ranked at No. 6 now with the WBA and there's a couple above him who have moved up in weight so that'll probably move him closer," Stevenson continued.

"There's a boxer just above him, Noel Reyes Cepeda (19-4, 15 KOs). Why not fight him? Let Inoue do what he's doing, vacate the belts and move up and then he's got a choice of four belts to go for then, so he's in a great position."