Martin Gethin roots for John Watson

Walsall's English lightweight champion Martin Gethin will be rooting for old foe John Watson to upset Gavin Rees for the British title.

Watson will go to his co-challenger's hometown of Newport tonight aiming to best the former WBA world title holder live on Sky Sports and get his hands on the Lonsdale belt, vacated by John Murray last month.

And Gethin could be in line to face the winner for the British crown, after being named by the British Boxing Board of Control as one half of an eliminator with Gary McArthur.

The Black Country Boxer will be sitting at his home in Walsall tonight waiting for it all to unfold, knowing all about Watson after a controversial points loss in March of last year.

Their eliminator for the Lonsdale belt could have ended in a draw, had Gethin's knockdown had not been ruled a slip in the last 30 seconds of round 10.

The 26-year-old has swore revenge ever since and, if Watson can defeat the odds tonight, it could happen.

Gethin said: "It's a hard one to call, it will be a close fight but Gavin Rees is strong, sharp and if he catches him it might be the end of it.

"John Watson is pretty good, he's the one I want because it would make me look better beating him for the British title.

"I thought I was going to stop him in the first three rounds, so I went flat-footed with my chin up to go after him - and threw the fight away.

"But he could also fall apart like he did against me and get caught, then Rees would finish him whereas I didn't have enough time."

It's going to be well into 2011 before any prospective fight for Gethin, who is still awaiting surgery to cure a long-standing back problem.

He is due to go under the knife early next month and is hoping to be fit to return to the ring by the end of February.

McArthur is fighting at a different weight in the meantime, as one of the eight participants in the first-ever super feather Prizefighter on November 20.

The Scotsman taking the trophy on the night or, better still, beating British champion Gary Sykes along the way would make his path to the Lonsdale belt easier at the lower weight.

But, if it is to be the Walsall fighter and McArthur in an eliminator, it's no sweat to Gethin.

He said: "I want to get to the British title as soon as I can but, if it comes to having that fight, it doesn't fuss me at all because I know I will beat him.

"He's more awkward than strong, but the way he tries to do it as a southpaw I can turn it around on him, by sitting on the outside of him and out of his range.

"If I stay off him on my back-foot he will pick me off all night, so I have got to put him out of his stride by using my feet a bit more and working behind the jab.

"I want to use my boxing skills, because I know I can put the pressure on."