Welsh champ Kieran Gething is looking for more titles
25-year-old Welshman, Kieran Gething (10-2-2), was last in action against Londoner Jeff Ofori (10-1) in the MTK Golden Contract super-lightweight tournament quarterfinals in November last year.
Despite the three judges being split at ringside and the 10-round contest scored as a draw, referee Kieran McCann was called to pick out his winner to send through to the tournament semis to face Ohara Davies. Unfortunately for Gething, it wasn’t the verdict he had hoped for.
“My last fight was on a Golden Contract show, so it was a good platform. I had a draw officially, then the ref put Jeff Ofori through, so weren’t really happy with that decision but you have to accept these things in boxing,” he shrugged.
“It would have been brilliant if I had made it through to the semis, I would have like to have gone against Tyrone McKenna for an International title. I’d have loved to have got into a big profile fight, but it was fantastic being on Sky though, just a different atmosphere, more professional, and a completely different level.”
One judge scored it 96-95 for Gething, another went with Ofori at 96-94, with the third judge seeing it completely even at 95-95.
“I had a bit of a weight struggle for that fight, there were a couple of different things that hindered my performance that night.”
Gething remains positive of the experience, enjoying the purse and the platform that came with his first fight on Sky Sports. It capped off a busy year for the Welshman, with four fights in total, which consisted of one six-rounder and three 10-round contests.
He won the Welsh Area super-lightweight belt in February in Newport, just 20 miles from his house in Abergavenny. He then dashed back to the ring exactly one month later to win a six-rounder against winning fighter Damian Esquisabel (3-2), then defended his national title to challenger Craig Woodruff (7-4) three months on in June, both at the Vale Sports Arena in Cardiff.
All four fights during 2019 went the distance, which resulted in 36 valuable rounds of experience for the rising star. He had aimed to continue the momentum by challenging County Durham’s Darren Surtees (12-1) earlier this year, a fellow Golden Contract competitor who was halted in round five of his quarter final fight on the same night as Gething’s stalemate, but injuries sustained in training thwarted the Welshman’s chance.
“I was due to fight Darren Surtees, but then tore ligaments and cartilage in my elbow and then I got a labrum injury on my shoulder. Waiting on an MRI scan, but I have only just started doing some tension exercises to hopefully strengthen the joints. I did my elbow swinging a sledgehammer in the gym and my shoulder went was when I was playing squash.
“I still can’t punch at the moment, without the MRI scan results I have to be tentative, I’m going to try a session next week but if it hurts then I won’t bother continuing.”
Despite the damages to his body, the optimist is hopeful of returning to the ring by the summer, providing the BBBofC lifts their ban on boxing events by then.
“I’ll look forward to fighting Darren Surtees, either him or another title fight; money is secondary, it’s just about titles. I wanted to fight for the Celtic title, I’m ranked 13th in Britain so should be eligible for a few title fights, just got to wait to see.”
Gething’s style of boxing is aesthetically pleasing and exciting, his fight against Tony Dixon (10-2) for the vacant Welsh Area welterweight title won ‘Welsh Area Fight of the Year’ in 2019. Gething touched down in round four, but went on to push Dixon all the way to a decision, which was scored one round against him. His subsequent two title fights down a division at super-lightweight, of which he won both, were also early contenders for next year’s award.
Born with a condition called congenital talipes equinovarus, more commonly known as ‘club foot’, the inspirational pugilist wants to inspire other young children with the same medical condition, as well as to bring boxing back to his hometown.
“I’ve really got a big ambition to put boxing on in my town, Abergavanny. After I defended my title in June last year, I deserved a Commonwealth title fight and wanted to bring that back, but I know that MTK and Mo Prior have got a big show planned in June, so I would like to think I could get on it. Apparently, Enzo Maccarinelli wants to have his 50th fight on it too!”
To follow Kieran Gething on Twitter, click here: @KiwiGething
HÖRFA are proud sponsors of British Boxing News