Daws here to stay (From Streatham Guardian)

Daws here to stay

12:08pm Friday 16th November 2007

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Morden boxer Lenny Daws has vowed not to quit his quest to regain the British light-welterweight crown, despite failing to clinch the English title last week.

The 28-year-old fighter's clash with old rival Nigel Wright ended in a 95-95 stalemate at York Hall last week - the scene of Daws' greatest win of his 17-bout career.

The former Rosehill ABC member beat Wright in Bethnal Green to lift the famous Lonsdale belt in 2006, but couldn't repeat the success on Wednesday night that would have set up a clash with current British title holder Colin Lynes in January.

Daws said he would have considered his future had he lost to Wright last week, but a draw still keeps hopes of a return to the big time alive.

But Sutton-based mauler, who dismissed any talk of retirement, has admitted it isn't clear what the future holds for him as a genuine title contender.

"I'm here to stay. I'm not even thinking of retiring," he said.

"If you get a defeat it is a little bit of a setback, but you clear you head, get back in the gym and you train even harder. I learnt that from the Barry Morrison fight, but this isn't a defeat it is a draw.

"I'm not too sure what is going to happen now. I'll have to see what my promoter can sort out.

"I wouldn't say no to a re-match but whether it is that or another title fight, we'll have to wait and see."

Daws recovered from a shocking start, a feature of his British title defeat to Morrison in January, that saw him out boxed for the opening four rounds.

He led going into the final three-minutes of the ten round contest, but Wright - who had been cut in the third round from a clash of heads - came out all guns blazing to level the scores in the last.

"I thought I'd just done enough to win it. I caught him with a couple of good combinations in the later rounds," added Daws.

"The English title is cut to ten rounds and if I'd had the extra two rounds it might have been a different story, but that is boxing.

"I thought he was holding me a bit, which stopped me getting some shots off. Obviously, he had done his homework and knew what he had to do.

"He wanted to hang on to his title. He is a tough kid and dug in hard, so hats off to him."

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