JORDAN Gill battled through injury to extend his unbeaten professional record to six wins on Saturday.
The Chatteris boxer, 18, injured his hip sparring in the lead-up to the bout but battled through the pain to outclass 148-fight veteran Kristian Laight, of Nuneaton, at Peterborough Arena.
Gill overcame an eight pound size disadvantage against an opponent who was called in at the last minute after his scheduled challenger, Dean Anderson, withdrew on the day.
He said: “I took a blow to my hip during sparring but did not tell anyone about it.
“I’ve had a scan and there is not a fracture but the tendon is damaged.
“I was not even at 20 per cent of my capabilities. I could not throw any power shots or move properly.
“I just had to stand there and fiddle about. I knew what I wanted to do but I could not do it, which was frustrating.
“My performance suffered but it was still a good win and I’ve learnt that I should never fight injured.
“Considering all the factors, I don’t think the fight could have gone any better.”
Gill will rest for the next week to allow his hip to heal but he has a busy few months ahead of him, with a title fight lined up in September.
He said: “I’ve been told I will be fighting for the British Masters Featherweight title at Bluewater or in Sheffield.
“If I win that fight I would become the youngest title holder in Britain.”
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