Christie successfully defended the title in June against Mo Hussein and was due to make a second defence in October against Chris Blake but a sparring injury leaving Cgristie with his lip "split in half" and requiring 22 stitches caused a postponement to November.
[4] Christie stopped Blake in the first round but ended the year with a points defeat at the hands of Del Bryan in a non-title fight.
[5] He was due to fight Joey Ferrell in January 1988 in what was seen at the time as an unofficial eliminator to challenge for Roger Mayweather's World title, but Ferrell withdrew, Christie getting a controversial points decision against substitute Tim Burgess.
[6][7] In May 1988 Christie unsuccessfully challenged for Tusikoleta Nkalankete's European title in Paris, the champion stopping him in the sixth round.
[8] In January 1989 he made a third defence of his British title against Clinton McKenzie, after original challenger and Scottish champion Robert Harkin was deemed not good enough to challenge for the title by the BBBofC;[9] The fight went the full twelve rounds with McKenzie getting the decision by a single point.