Dumbarton boxer Martin Harkin has spoken of his frustration after seeing his shot at the vacant Celtic welterweight title postponed - for the second fight running.
The 26-year-old was set to travel to Belfast to take on unbeaten Lewis Crocker for the Celtic crown only for the Northern Irishman to pull out with days remaining due to an arm injury.
Harkin, the BBBofC number one challenger, put that disappointment behind him, consoling himself with the fact that Saltire Boxing, his management company, had worked quickly to get another title shot lined up against Welshman Tony Dixon.
The pair were penned in to meet at the Radisson Blu hotel in Glasgow last week before Dixon withdrew with injury concerns.
Out of the ring since October 6, Harkin accepted a last minute fight with Miguel Anguilar to keep himself sharp.
Scheduled for 10 rounds, Harkin blew off any ring rust with a one-sided demolition of the hard-hitting Nicaraguan, stopping him in the fourth round with a vicious barrage.
Harkin admits that it was hard to keep himself motivated after watching another title shot slip away and even confessed that his trainer kept the Dixon withdrawal to himself right up until the fight to avoid any loss of concentration.
But Harkin insists the sport is too dangerous to take any opponent lightly or let your motivation slip.
“It’s frustration more than anything right now,” Harkin told the Reporter. “The boy Dixon pulled out a week prior like Crocker did last time, but my team only told me a few days before this time to make sure I didn’t take my eye off the ball.
“It’s hard not to let that frustration get the better of you but I still had a job to do as they found an opponent for me. It’s the second time it’s happened now, so it’s just been a bit of a nightmare.
“Anguilar was a tough opponent so I had to keep myself composed and put everything else out of my mind. At the end of the day, I was still happy to get in the ring and put a good performance on as it’s been a few months now.”
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Harkin’s manager, Iain Wilson of Saltire Boxing Promotions, has been hard at work once again, lining up a THIRD Celtic title shot, this time against Kirkintilloch fighter Ally Black.
Black, 28, has 14 professional fights under his belt with nine wins, four losses and one draw.
Harkin took his own record to 9-0 with the Aguilar win and reckons that could be the perfect tune up before he gears up to challenge for the belt once again.
He said: “It was good to get out there and keep myself ticking over. My manager has told me another Celtic fight has been set for March 15. That will be the Radisson Hotel this time. I take all that with a pinch of salt now to be honest after the last couple of agreements.
“I’ve not heard much about Ally Black to be honest, but it doesn’t matter who I’m up against, I only care about getting my chance for the title.”
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