Bushey boxer Miles Shinkwin returns to the ring tomorrow determined to bounce straight back after missing out on the British light-heavyweight title last time out.

That defeat against Hosea ‘The Hammer’ Burton is the only blemish on his otherwise perfect professional record, and Shinkwin is determined to show people that was just a blip and only a temporary setback in his ambitions.

He said it was the worst he has ever boxed and now – on his 28th birthday – he has the chance to put it behind him, show the fight world the real him again and get his career back on an upward curve.

The man standing in his way at the York Hall, Bethnal Green, tomorrow night is Eric Mokonzo, a 29-year-old who has won two and lost two.

One of those two wins came against Jermaine Asare, the highly-rated Welshman who had been undefeated as a pro before they met.

But Shinkwin is confident he has the tools in his locker to make sure he comes out on top and gets the win.

And while it may lack the prestige of his last fight, Shinkwin will be treating it as though there is a belt on the line again.

He said: “It’s going to be a bigger test than a title fight in many ways. I have got a lot of things to prove right now to a lot of people and I want to impress.

“On paper it is a fight I should win but it is his [Mokonzo’s] big chance against a British title challenger and he’s going to be well up for it.

“He’s a big strong fella and he will come out and have a real go. It’s his chance to get his name out there and get recognised, and I’ve got to put a stop to that.”

But Shinkwin knows that a win for him could also put him right back in contention again, maybe one phone call away from the big stage where he wants to be, and he is a man on a mission to get his name back out there after that defeat in Manchester which he just didn’t see coming.

He said “I was convinced I was going to win but I didn’t perform. I boxed as badly as I have done as a professional on the biggest stage I have ever had. It wasn’t my night. He beat a version of me, but not the real me. If I had only boxed at 80 per cent of my normal ability I would have won that fight.

"If I could rewind it, it would be a different story.”

He wishes it was Burton standing in front of him again tomorrow, but his calls for a rematch have been rejected.

Shinkwin said: “I would fight him for free. I would love to get him again. We have offered it twice and they have said no twice.”

That defeat in Manchester still rankles. He hasn’t watched it back again since the immediate aftermath when he played the DVD numerous times in one day, wishing he could rewrite its script.

He said: “I let a lot of people down who have put a lot of work and faith into me. I got it wrong on the night.

“But, in history, you have got plenty of people who have lost a British title fight and then went on to great things.

“You’ve got to shake it off and get back on with it. I feel in really good shape now. I feel fit, I am ready, I have had some good sparring, I’ve trained hard, I’ve worked hard and I’m very mentally strong.

“It’s my birthday on Saturday. I need to get back to winning ways again. I need to get going again and move on.”