Gavin Gwynne will be the first to admit that it wasn’t a vintage performance from the ‘Merthyr Mexican’ but it was one that was enough to capture the European Lightweight title with a stoppage victory over the unbeaten 47-year-old Italian Emiliano Marsili at York Hall in east London.

The Welshman was down on two of the judge’s scorecards when the bout was called to an halt, the Italian retiring due to a shoulder injury at the start of the ninth round.

“I just love a fight,” a relieved Gwynne told TNT Sports afterwards.

“They said try and box him, get behind the jab, nice and long, get it done first round. I just like entertaining the fans. 

“I knew he was tricky and that he would try and outbox me, and turn around, being a tricky southpaw, and that’s what he was. You don’t go 42 unbeaten and not be half decent.

“The first couple of rounds I gave away, I’m always like that, just to suss him out. Then I thought I started coming back into it, started getting into my gameplan [as] he started to slow down. 

“The last round we said that he was gone; his legs were gone. [If] we start to trade blows, that’s the end of him, then he pulled himself out with injury. I don’t think it was an injury. 

“I just love to have a war. They don’t hurt me, these lightweights, when they punch me clean, they don’t hurt.

“I just want to keep progressing. I want to keep on improving, getting as many belts as possible and making as much money as possible, that’s the dream for any boxer.”