By Daniel Mole

Martin Gethin’s hopes of a showdown with Gavin Rees may have been dashed but he is still due a tilt at the British title.

The IBF International Lightweight Champion had expected to go toe-to-toe with Welshman Rees for the British lightweight title after the British Boxing Board of Control put him forward as the mandatory challenger for the belt.

However, it was confirmed yesterday that Rees would take on former WBA and WBO World title contender, John Murray, at the London Olympia on 8th December.

 

Rees’ promoter, Eddie Hearn, hasn’t stipulated that the Rees-Murray clash would be for the British belt and, with the BBBoC putting Rees-Gethin out to purse bids, the situation will become clearer when those bids are due on 17th November.

Gethin is still due a shot at the British title as, once the Board send a fight out to bids, it is binding unless the Challenger agrees to step aside or the Champion relinquishes his belt.

“I will just have to see how things pan out,” the Walsall-born 28 year-old told uko-boxing.com. “I want a shot at Rees but now his fight with Murray has been confirmed, things are up in the air.

“I’m in line for a shot at the British title. The British Boxing Board of Control have named me as the mandatory contender so we will see what happens.”