By Terence Dooley
Birmingham’s Frankie Gavin posted a 10-threes win over Bogdan Mitic at Sheffield’s Motorpoint Arena on Saturday night in a marking time bout that he believes has sharpened his tools ahead of a May 9th meeting with Chris van Heerden at Birmingham's Barclaycard Arena.
Gavin moved to 22-1 (13), but he failed to put his man away and has blamed the lack of action on the visitor’s unwillingness to engage.
"I was pleased with my performance but maybe I could have done more and been busier,” said Gavin when speaking to the Birmingham Evening Mail. “The first target was to go out and get a good win without suffering any injuries, especially with the van Heerden fight just five weeks away. I had a look at him and by about the fourth I knew he had nothing to worry me. My corner was asking me for more and maybe I didn't respond quick enough.
“However, there was no ambition at all from Mitic and I couldn't understand how he had managed to stop so many of his previous opponents. As soon as I moved forward he went on the defensive. He just kept backing off. By the seventh my punches were starting to tell and although he was never in trouble, he was hurt and that made him even more defensive. The van Heerden fight will not be the same and nor will I.”
It was Gavin’s first fight under the Matchroom banner. Eddie Hearn is building the Birmingham show around the 29-year-old; van Heerden is likely to be a far more willing dance partner so will present Gavin with a chance to show what he can do when the mood takes him.
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