FORMER champion Esham Pickering feels he has a point to prove when he defends his British Super-Bantamweight title against Matthew Marsh at the York Hall in Bethnal Green on June 27.
Pickering, now fighting out of Newark, will make his second defence of the British crown on a Hennessy Sports bill after stopping Sean Hughes in the ninth round in January.
That victory was revenge for Esham after Hughes (Pontefract) had pulled of
f a shock eight-round points win in a non-title fight in November last year.
Pickering (33-6) is out to prove the critics wrong when he takes on Marsh (Welling) as he targets a crack at European champion Rendall Munroe or IBF world champion Steve Molitor.
"In the first fight against Hughes I got beat badly against an opponent I shouldn't have lost to, but to come back from that in my next fight and beat him like I did was good," said Pickering, who is trained by Carl Greaves.
"I wasn't at my best in either of those fights and I feel I have got a point to prove in this next one.
"Everyone is saying I'm shot but I'm not and they won't be saying that after I beat Matthew.
"People are saying I can't do what I used to but I'm fitter than I've ever been now..
"I'm not offering any excuses for those two fights against Hughes, but you're going to see the old Esham Pickering back in this fight."
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