Croydon middleweight Gareth Gardner has vowed to return better if not bigger after losing his unbeaten record in a dramatic night of action last weekend.
The Queensbury Boxing League (QBL) star, who had built an 11-fight winning streak since making his league debut in 2011, won his first two contests of the eight-man Reisser Quest Knockout Tournament before losing a thrilling final against Grays prospect Tey Lynn-Jones.
Reflecting on a hard night’s work, the 30-year-old carpenter and roofer admitted to being “sore all over”, but was philosophical about his first loss in the QBL.
He said: “I’ve lost fights in the amateurs so this is nothing new. It happens. As we say where I train at Juggernauts Gym, 'You don’t lose, you learn'.”
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Gardner admitted that his six-month lay-off after his last contest left him ring rusty for his quarter-final match against Bradley Spencer.
“The first fight was terrible. I’d been out for a long time so I was struggling with my timing. He was tricky to pin down and kept backing off so I just had to grind out the result.” he added.
“The semi-final match against John Hefford felt a lot better, but again it was a hard match. You could tell he had prepared, but I had my head right this time and boxed to my ability.”
Having overcome Romford’s Hefford in a fight of the year contender, Gardner had to dust himself down to face the 21-year-old Lynn-Jones, who had swept all before him in his first four Queensbury contests.
Gardner said: “My left ear was damaged in the Hefford fight and when Tey caught me on it in the first round, it felt like it had exploded. There’s no excuse, it just hurt.
“The second round was close and he maybe worked harder in the last.”
The heart-breaking defeat to the tall, rangy Lynn-Jones has convinced Gardner that his future lies in the lighter divisions.
He said: “You look at some of these lads and they are coming down from 13 stone or more, while I was eating my way up.
"I’ve had a good run overcoming the disadvantages, but I see myself now at light-middle or even welterweight.
“I’ve got another three years left at this so you haven’t seen the last of me yet. I’d like to thank Queensbury for putting on such a great show, and also my friends and supporters for sticking by me. It really means a lot.”
The Queensbury Boxing League returns to action with the "Who Dares Wins" fight night on February 6 at the Copthorne Hotel Effingham Park.
For more details go to queensburyboxing.co.uk
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