New Addington's Gareth Gardner wants fans to prepare themselves for the biggest performance of his career when he headlines the Queensbury Boxing League Capital Shakedown at Alexandra Palace this weekend.

The light middleweight championship clash, against Sam “The Hammer” Holloway, marks the undefeated star’s return after an eight-month break from the sport.

Gardner’s last bout in June saw him defend his middleweight title, beating challenger Danny "Dynamite" Lineham from Nottingham, and he is eager to be back.

He said: “You always miss boxing when you are not around it, and now that things at work have settled down, and seeing that my old title is still vacant, I decided to come back and have another crack at it - which is going to be exciting for all the show’s fans."

The 30-year-old has guaranteed fans a great fight when he and Holloway collide.

“I’ve known Sam for a long time now and he’s a slick, stylish boxer who has a fantastic left hook that I’m going to need to be careful of, but I’m not worried about that, all I’m concerned with is doing what I need to do," he said.

“Watching Sam’s previous fights, he likes to take his time with his boxing, which is perfect for my style, and when he gets in that ring I’m going to pressure him and not give him a second to think, so we’ll see how he copes with that on the night.”

Holloway will be dropping down to the league’s light middleweight division for the first time after winning the national middleweight and super middleweight belts.