By Terence Dooley

Birmingham’s Frankie Gavin (25-3, 15 KOs) is under no illusions going into his November 17 challenge to European welterweight champion Kerman Lejarraga (25-0, 20 early). 

The former British and Commonwealth titlist admits that his career is on the line and it will be a long way back if he fails to dethrone the 26-year-old away from home, they meet at the Bizkaia Arena in Bilbao, where Lejarraga hammered Bradley Skeete to defeat in two in April.

First, though, the 32-year-old will squeeze in a six-round fight at the Holiday Inn in Birmingham on Septembter 16 in order to ensure that he is as sharp as possible and to further gel with new trainer Malcolm Melvin before heading to Spain.

“I'll admit there have been times when I've not lived the life,” admitted Gavin when speaking to Mike Lockley of the Birmingham Mail. 

“I was in and out.   But I said to Malc’, 'I'll listen and I'll do everything you ask', and I've done everything he's asked.  I'm liking the sport again.  I'm learning something every day.  The weight is fine.  It didn't used to be—I was 15 stone and ready to quit.”

Despite Lejarraga’s demolition of Skeete, Gavin believes that he has the ability to negate the Spaniard’s bombs to bring the title back home.  “He can punch, you can't shy away from that,” he added.

“There will be times when it will get sticky, but we've been working on a lot of things.  I'm looking to make him miss and make him pay.  I've been written off loads of times—I was going to lose to Skeete, I was going to lose to [Denton] Vassell, so being the underdog doesn't bother me.  If it comes to a tear-up, I'll be ready.  I'm not going over there to make up the numbers.”

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