Gethin shows no ill-effects of back injury on return

Martin Gethin admits he wants a title fight next year - but isn't fussed who it's against. 

The two-time English lightweight champion from the Black Country [pictured after boxing in Las Vegas in 2007] returned from 19 months of injury hell to shut-out durable Pole Arek Malek over six at Walsall Town Hall last night [November 18] and has now targeted a title fight in 2012.

Well-muscled Malek (10st 2lb) has boxed on British shores on no fewer than 26 occasions in which time he's acquired a reputation as a durable character who is oft-beat but won't go without an argument and is capable when he lashes back with his right.

And though Gethin boxed neatly off his jab throughout an 18-minute First Team-promoted bout that was streamed live on YouTube by Hatton Boxing, the 57-fight [12 wins and two draws] Pole clipped him with a number of solid body shots and looping rights as the rust gradually shred from a man (10st 4lbs) who was boxing in his hometown for the first time in five years.

Showing no ill-effects from a back injury that had kept him out of competitive action for over a year-and-a-half and required career-saving surgery, the Errol Johnson-trained puncher moved his upper-body well, found the space to thump in body punches and thread rights through, and generally out-boxed the well-covered Eastern European, whose face was reddened by the accuracy of potency of Gethin's straight shots by the fourth.

The decent workout continued to heavily-favour the local in final six minutes, a heavy-looking head-body-head attack forcing his always-willing opponent to grab tightly late on, and it came as no surprise to see Shaun Messer [scoring on the outside for trialist official Gareth Morris] mark the ex-British Masters 10st boss a 60-54 victor.

And  now, after registering professional win 19 in 23 [three defeats and a draw, seven inside], Gethin has laid down the gauntlet to English champion Derry Mathews and British 9st 9lbs boss Anthony Crolla, who defends his crown against Willie Limond in Scotland next Friday. He said: "I'll keep ticking over in the gym and then see what comes up in the New Year.

"Whatever the title my team can get for me, be it the English or British, i'll be ready to beat them and take the belt home with me," added the 28-year-old former Midland Area champion, who ended the unbeaten runs of Yorkshire pair Nadeem Siddique [22] and John Fewkes [17] in 2008.