Gethin puts injury hell behind him and targets Crolla

Martin Gethin is targeting the British title after putting an injury-laden 19 months behind him.

The unassuming Walsall lightweight [pictured with the Masters belt] has won British Masters, Midland Area and English straps but a host of setbacks has restricted him to just three outings since 2009.

But Gethin boxes for the first time since April last year when he crosses swords with Arek Malek at Walsall Town Hall on Friday [November 18], on a First Team Promotions bill that's headlined by an interesting-looking Midland Area welterweight title clash between champion Sean McKervey, Coventry, and Black Country favourite Jason Welborn.

And 56-fight [12 wins, two draws] Malek is no stranger to these shores. The durable Pole has only been halted on five occasions and has boxed no fewer than 25 times in Britain, including points reversals against WBC number one-rated light-welterweight Ajose Olusegun and smooth-boxing Scot Wille Limond.

So the the Black Country-based father of one, who celebrates his 28th birthday two days before he boxes on a three-bout card that will be streamed online by HattonBoxing.com, can probably expect a rust-shredding distance test over 18 minutes.

But his focus is firmly on relieving British champion Anthony Crolla, the improving Mancunian who defends for the first time against aforementioned Limond on November 25, of his belt. Martin argues [quite rightly] that Crolla is not a true lightweight, having stepped up from super-featherweight at the last-minute to take the Lonsdale Belt a year ago, and is beatable.

Yet the quiet West Midlander is just grateful to be stepping between the ropes at all. "I've been out of action for a while because of my back and didn't think i was going to fight again at one point," admitted Gethin, a two-time holder of the English 9st 9lbs title who ended the unbeaten runs of Nadeem Siddique [22] and John Fewkes [17] with stoppages in 2008.

"The back problem was so bad that i couldn't really throw any punches without breaking down. Every time i moved in sparring it sent agonising spasms shooting up my spine. Thankfully, the the operation has sorted it now and i'm 100 per cent again.

"Though i'm not looking past this as an easy fight because Malek's hard, lets his fists fly when he thinks he's under too much and I've been out of the ring for a while, i want the British title in the next 12 months and don't think that's an unrealistic target.

"Crolla is fit and has a good work-rate but he's not a natural lightweight and i have a good chance of taking his title if i get the opportunity," added the solid-hitting Errol Johnson-trained boxer, 18-3-1 (7).