STEVE Spartacus believes he still has another boxing win within him following three straight defeats over the past two years.The Bramford resident was elevated to highest echelons of light-heavyweight boxing after losing just two of his 21 fights between September 2000 and February 2006.

Stuart Watson

STEVE Spartacus believes he still has another boxing win within him following three straight defeats over the past two years.

The Bramford resident was elevated to highest echelons of light-heavyweight boxing after losing just two of his 21 fights between September 2000 and February 2006.

However, three defeats in the past two years - including the stopped fight against Danny McIntosh earlier this month - left the 31-year-old considering his future.

Spartacus, who has trained at Needham Market's Hurstlea Kerridge gym over the years, was left frustrated at the referee's decision to stop the fight against McIntosh in the seventh round after he had been put on the canvas for the first time in his career.

“I took the fight at three weeks notice having been out of the ring for 18 months,” admitted Spartacus, who got married to his fiancé Emma just two months before the fight.

“The preparations weren't great. I had to come down from 14.2 stones to 12.7 in three weeks.

“Four sparring sessions just wasn't enough preparation and to be honest I ended up hitting the wall by the seventh round.

“Saying that I still felt it was a premature stoppage and, even though I lost, I still enjoyed the whole experience.

“Much was made of it being an Ipswich versus Norwich fighter in Norfolk and I loved going into the lions' den and getting all the boos. It really wound me up and I ended up enjoying it more than a lot of my previous fights.

“Everyone has said that it was the fight of the night and the promoters are keen for a rematch.

“Losing won't effect me mentally and although it would be a tough fight, I think with eight weeks training I would stand a chance.

“He (McIntosh) was away on a training camp for six or seven weeks before the fight. He's a good kid, but he's also a gym bully and I would love to have another crack at him.”

He added: “I just don't want to be looking back with regrets and always be left thinking that I could have gone two or three more fights.”

Spartacus, who has also been earmarked for the new Prize Fighter series next May, has now finally got the chance to take his postponed honeymoon to Egypt, but on his return he will be getting straight back in the gym.

He explained: “I've been building my own gym in Bramford over the last few weeks because, with the Needham gym being rebuilt, I was having to travel to London and Norfolk to train.

“For now it will just be for my individual use, but eventually I would like to do some personal training out of it.”