They may not be the biggest names in the game but Howard Eastman and Robert McCracken are two of the most successful fighters in Britain.

Their combined records show just one defeat - suffered by McCracken when he fought Keith Holmes for the WBC Middlweight title last year.

Their head-to-head meeting at Wembley on Tuesday evening sets up the chance of a memorable battle.

Eastman is undefeated and the reigning British and Commonwealth champion.

Desperate

He won the British title when beating Salford veteran Steve Foster in November 1998 and added the second belt last September when taking a decision against Sam Soliman.

His record shows 31 wins from 31 contests over a 7 year pro career but, peculiarly, it has taken until now to match him with anyone of McCracken's ability.

After 25 undefeated fights, Eastman found himself against the journeyman's journeyman Ojay Abrahams and the Londoner is desperate to move onto a bigger stage.

McCracken, the former undefeated British and Commonwealth champion, is one of the real oddities of British boxing.

His career began at welterweight in 1991, moved up to light-middleweight the following year and by the end of 1993 had a perfect record of 18 wins.

But over the next few years he could only watch as Richie Woodhall, Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank and later Joe Calzaghe grabbed the spotlight whist he scrapped for the spotlight.

Tension

The Birmingham man kept his unbeaten record intact with wins out in America before the Holmes test which proved too tough.

Both these men know defeat at Wembley simply isn't an option and the pre-fight tension has been notable.

They clashed at ringside in Hull back in February after Eastman's win over Mark Baker.

And there was a frosty atmosphere at the head-to-head press conference with McCracken refusing to be wound up by taunts from the Londoner.

The closeness of the match makes it a potential classic.

Home advantage may make Eastman the slight favourite but McCracken's been in with the better men and that experience could prove vital if this goes the distance.