EU shot for frustrated Lloyd

Telford's Mark Lloyd has, after three years of trying, finally secured himself another meaningful title fight.

The former three-weight champion (British and International Masters titles at light-middleweight and middleweight, as well as a Midland Area title at welterweight) will travel to Italy to take on Cagliari's Luciano 'Bazooka' Abis for the EU title on April 15.

The 12-rounder appears to have come at the right time for the 35-year-old from Shropshire, 15-3 (3), who has a reputation as a rock-jawed, iron-souled pressure fighter who doesn't know the meaning of the word quit.

He said: "I have lost count of the number of times that I have been promised a big fight only to see it has fallen through.

"To be honest, I was getting dis-heartened with boxing and I was ready to knock it on the head,"  the former English title challenger, a plumber by day and puncher by night, candidly admitted. "But all the contracts and paperwork have come through for this one and I’m really up for it. 

"I'm ready to take this chance."

European Union (a sister title to the full European strap) champion Abis, 31, has a stellar 30-1-1 paid ledger but is not known as a puncher, only 14 coming via the short route. But he is, based on a few sightings I've had of him on Eurosport, a fast, skillful, steady operator who gave then-European champion Rafal Jackiewicz a decent test.

And though Lloyd has a susceptibility to cuts (sliced open in three of his last four outings), he's only been halted by undefeated Jamie Cox, a fight he was leading until caught to the body in the final session, is tough, hits the body well and should have enough know-how to cause problems.

That said, he is honest enough to admit he's clueless as to what to expect on his first fight outside England.

“I don’t know much about Abis," continued the Errol Johnson-trained scraper, a one-time Prizefighter semi-finalist. "All that i do know, however, is that he has a cracking record and his only defeat has been on a split decision so he can definitely fight a bit.

"But i'm confident, even if it's in his backyard. I'm going there to win."