Hatton news

Merthyr middleweight Kerry Hope says he is going back to the drawing board after losing his European crown in a rematch with former holder Grzegorz Proksa in Sheffield at the weekend.

The 30-year-old, now based in Bolton under the stewardship of Karl Ince, was halted near the end of the eighth round but says he has no regrets in agreeing to met the tough Pole again.

"It was a tough night, I was beaten by the better man and that's boxing for you," said Hope. "Having trained really hard I went in there feeling confident but he was simply too good on the night.

"He took me more seriously this time and I upped my game, but it wasn't enough and that's the way it goes.

"I felt as if I was coming back into things and the adrenalin was pumping.

"But he caught me on the ear with his head and I couldn't get into the fight after that."

He added: "It was disappointing. Who knows what's next for me? Maybe I'll step back and take a British fight - but I'll have a chat with my team and see what happens."

10/07/2012 17:33:14