SIGHS at the loss of an Irish prize of ten out of ten has opened the eyes of York-based boxer Harry Matthews.

The 22-year-old middleweight suffered his first professional defeat in ten outings last month when he was beaten on points by home fighter Ciaran Healy on a Sky-televised bill at the King’s Hall in Belfast.

Since then the Pocklington Rocket has taken a well-earned break in which he took the time to re-evaluate his burgeoning ring career.

Now he has declared he is “raring to go” again in the cruellest sport, further adding that the setback he suffered in Northern Ireland could work out to be the best thing to have happened.

Said Matthews: “I think I have learned a lot from the defeat.

“I questioned myself about what I wanted from the sport and I realised that I have what it takes to be a champion.

“After a bit of a holiday I’m back in the gym. I’ve been sparring with Matthew Hatton (former world champion Ricky Hatton’s brother and himself the current European welterweight title-holder) and I feel good.

“Besides training there at Manchester I’m also travelling down to London for a few days’ training as well as working with my coach Glenn Banks here in York.”

It will not be long before Matthews steps back through the ropes and into the ring for his 11th bout. He has been earmarked for a duel on a bill to be held at Leeds United’s Elland Road ground at a dinner-show on October 2.

Of his defeat to Healy, Matthews said he never felt motivated even though the clash was his first in front of the Sky television “Fight Night” cameras.

“I underestimated him and I was demotivated,” he said.

“I’d been ill a couple of weeks before the fight and I think I had also over-trained. It was as if I left a lot of my strength in the gym.

“Now I realise I have to listen to my body and make sure it peaks for a fight and not gym work. That loss could have been the best thing to have happened to me.

“Now I’m back again and I’m raring to go.”