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Steven Pearce vowing to bounce back again

Stourbridge's Steven Pearce today vowed to triumph in adversity again when he re-enters the battle for belts at Walsall Town Hall next month.

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The former Midlands welterweight champion lost his crown to fellow Stourbridge fighter Sam Eggington after a seventh round stoppage in May.

The 28-year-old hasn't boxed since, but will get his chance of redemption against Stafford's Rob Hunt for the vacant British Masters title over 10 rounds.

They are chief support on the Saturday November 16 bill, with Cradley's Chris Male taking on Troy James in a British super featherweight title eliminator.

And 'Fierce Pearce' wants to rebound, like when he was halted at the first hurdle in January's Prizefighter at Wolverhampton Civic Hall by eventual winner Glenn Foot.

Pearce stepped in to challenge Derby's Luke Gallear for the vacant Midlands crown at four days notice in March and stopped him in five rounds at Burton Town Hall.

He said: "After the Eggington fight, I needed that little bit of a break to find out what I wanted. I have learned a lot from that loss.

"The fights and training camps were too close together and I put my body through an intense regime which took a lot out of me.

"A lot of people don't think you will come back after defeat, but I lost to Glenn Foot in January and came back to win the Midlands title.

"I answered everyone's questions then and I believe I'm ready to do that again by winning another title. I'm excited to be back and to have my fan-base behind me."

Pearce's ring return should have taken place in Dudley last month but a scheduled six-rounder with Brummie Andrew Patterson, who has since retired, was postponed.

But he believes the extra training will stand him in good stead for the Hunt fight, arguing the hard yards have already been done in the gym as he keeps himself ticking over.

Pearce said: "A lot of people say I have wasted six weeks training for the Patterson fight, but I see plenty of positives from it.

"That fight was called off three days before it was due to take place, so I'm six round fit anyway. All I am doing now is building on those six weeks going into this fight.

"I am building myself up to be ten or twelve rounds fit. I feel great and I have still got a few weeks to go until fight night."

Tickets, priced at £30 and £60 ringside, are available from the Town Hall Box Office on 0845 111 2900. The after-show party is at the Pitch Sports Bar and Grill on Bridge Street in Walsall.

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