Steve Gethin's second shot at glory

Walsall's Steve Gethin has revealed how the sad retirement of his brother Darren convinced him not to hang up his gloves and give up on his dream of becoming Midlands champion.

Gethin vowed to retire if he didn't beat Del Rogers for the area title in February, a fight which ended in four rounds controversially after the Black Country boxer was cut below the left eye.

But the 31-year-old will instead get a second chance at Rogers, when the two clash with the area title up-for-grabs at Birmingham's Holiday Inn tonight.

However, it will not be for Rogers' featherweight crown, but the vacant belt at super feather after it became clear the challenger would not be able to make the 9st limit at the lower weight.

It's a rematch Gethin doubted would happen so much he was seriously considering quitting the sport, but kept on training so he could run the London Marathon in April.

Younger brother Martin, the English lightweight champion, was also by his side for the run in the capital.

However, the summer saw older sibling Darren, a former Midlands champion at welterweight, call time on his career, succumbing to a persistent shoulder injury.

And it reminded the only boxing brother in the family not to win a title that time was running out to buck that trend, leading to his return to the ring.

Now Gethin has vowed to seize his unexpected chance of redemption tonight.

He said: "After the Marathon I was thinking 'do I really want to go back to boxing?'

"I was thinking about packing it in, but then I started to get bored and miss it, so I came back to train a little bit in the hope that a rematch might come up.

"I have always wanted to win at least a Midlands title and I thought my chance had gone, time had passed so I wasn't expecting it and the next thing I knew the fight was on.

"You never know in boxing, my brother having to retire made me realise that I have got to do something and not leave it too long to get back into it."

The first title fight between the two was tightly poised before being unexpectedly waved off in the fourth round, with both combatants having barely settled into the bout.

With that in mind, Gethin has vowed to go straight at Rogers this time, having not had time to make a dent in the champion first time round.

From the opening bell tonight, the challenger will be looking to throw every punch like it's his last.

He said: "I will be starting a lot faster this time, I am going to go out there and hit him with everything I have got.

"I have fought that many people, I have been under pressure and I have put people under pressure, so that experience is going to help.

"My game plan last time was to take him the distance, but I got cut, so this time I want to fight at my pace and see how he takes to it.

"I have always been a slow starter that builds up as the rounds go on, I can't do that this time."