Martin Gethin faces further time out

Walsall's Martin Gethin has pleaded with Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital to give him the surgery that will save his boxing career.

The 27-year-old has been waiting to go under the knife since last autumn to cure a long-standing back problem and was referred to the Queen Elizabeth from Walsall Manor Hospital in January.

The reasoning behind it was that Gethin would recover within a fortnight from keyhole surgery at the Queen Elizabeth, with a six-to-eight week waiting list for the procedure.

But Gethin has now been told he could have to wait another two to three months so, after he returns to training, it could be well into July before he is fighting fit to return to the ring.

Gethin has already had to relinquish his English lightweight title due to the injury and the British crown he covets has also changed hands, after Anthony Crolla stepped up from super featherweight to beat twice-challenger John Watson to the vacant belt last month.

The Walsall fighter's name was in the mix for the British belt before he fell to injury last year and he admits he is losing precious ground in the title race.

He said: "They keep saying May or June to me, roundabouts, and it's doing my head in big time - I could have had the British title by now.

"Hopefully they can do it sooner, I have said to the doctor 'if you can do anything for me, please do, even getting me in on a cancellation, if one comes up.'

"I want to keep fit but I get pain if I do some heavy training although I have been doing things like riding my bike to work, which is nine miles there and nine miles back."

Gethin had to turn over his English belt during last month's show at Walsall Town Hall, but was only officially confirmed as having given up his crown by the British Boxing Board of Control last week.

The title will now be contested at Liverpool's Olympia on April 2 between Derry Mathews and Midlands champion Amir Unsworth, who won the area belt from Wolverhampton's Steve Saville last December.

However, former WBU world title holder Mathews is the huge favourite to become Gethin's successor, although he is also stepping up from super featherweight to the 9st 9lb division.

Should he decide to, Gethin would surely be the No 1 contender for the winner of the English title fight, although the British champion is the fighter he really wants.

He said: "I think it would a decent fight between me and Crolla, but I would break him. I would probably have a chance of stopping him if I put the pressure on like I normally do.

"Mathews has been knocked out at super feather and is stepping up a weight - if anything he should be stepping down a weight.

"If it was me and him I would get inside him, hurt him and, eventually, catch him on his chin."

Gethin also had praise for fellow Walsall fighter Joel Ryan, who stunned Midlands welterweight champion Sean McKervey by dropping and then beating him on points after four rounds in Bedworth last Friday night.

The former English champion said: "I have seen Joel in the gym and he looks pretty tidy. It's good to have another boxer flying the flag for Walsall."