NICK Blackwell says that his bloody scrap with Nathan King last weekend took him right back to his gritty unlicensed days.

Fighting just two weeks after his draw with Belarusian veteran Sergey Khomitsky in Monte Carlo, the Trowbridge middleweight notched up the 16th victory of his professional career as he out-pointed Welshman King over eight rounds at Bluewater, Kent, with both fighters battling on through a barrage of facial cuts.

‘Bang Bang’ Blackwell, pictured, is renowned for his lack of an organised amateur background and says stepping into the ring to take on a light-heavyweight, who came in at late notice, was a throwback to the times he spent taking on all comers as a teenager.

“Going in with someone heavier than me and just going toe-to-toe was just like being back in the snooker hall.

“I had to adapt and I wasn’t worried about taking on a light-heavyweight because it was exciting,” said the Mick Hennessy-backed 24-year-old, who had the final two rounds of his win over King broadcast on Channel 5.

“I wobbled him in the third round but I thought that I gave away two rounds in the fight.

“He hit me in the bicep twice with a right hand and my arm is black and blue but the little cut I had wasn’t as bad as it looked.

“I think that against Khomitsky, that was only 50 per cent of what I can do and I was probably up to 60 or 70 per cent on Saturday.

“I’m definitely improving with every fight now that I’m a lot busier.

“It’s just nice to be fighting all the time now.

“If I hadn’t signed up with Mick, I think I probably wouldn’t have fought this year and it’s good that it’s not just all talk with him. It’s wicked.”

After two outings in two weeks, the Contender Gym man has already pencilled in the next date in his diary, with Blackwell expected to be back in action again on December 6 in Germany.

He said: “I’ve had two toughies in my last two fights, so I think this might be against someone that I’ll have more chance of smashing up.

“But I still have to treat every fight like a world title fight.

“Then I’ve got the winner of Billy Joe Saunders and Chris Eubank Jr to prepare for next year.”

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