Onwards and upwards for boxing champ Nav

FIGHTER Nav Mansouri is scenting another British title shot after coming through a controversial and epic battle at Magna.

Mansouri retained his English light-middleweight title last Saturday on a hotly disputed split decision against Sheffield's unbeaten Sam Sheedy.

There was some surprise at ringside when two of the three judges scored it in Nav's favour, with many claiming Sheedy was the more accurate and controlled.

But the Rotherham man, bidding to put himself back in the frame for the British crown, contributed to an absorbing fight by continually pressing forward and insists he deserved the victory in what was only his second fight in 15 months due to injury.

He told the Advertiser: “It was not my best performance but I still got the win. I certainly felt like I won. Judges know their job and they will not give you a win if they think you didn't earn it.

“Sam Sheedy's punching never bothered me. I took them all and gave him some and it was a good fight for the crowd.

“When you consider how long I'd had out, to come back to that kind of fight, over ten rounds, people didn't think I would last."

Mansouri recently signed with the MGM gym in Marbella and now has 15 wins from 18 fights.

He added: “The British title is the goal and hopefully I can get a crack at it by the end of the year. Whatever my management put in front of me, I'll take. If it's the British title next, I will go for that.”