FORMER British champion Gary Buckland ended an eight-month break from boxing by bouncing back with his 31st professional win at the Ice Arena Wales in Cardiff on Saturday night.

The 30-year-old was forced to call on all of his experience from an 11-year professional career to see off a gallant challenge from Ellesmere Port’s once-beaten Matty Fagan.

Referee Martin Williams scored the six-round lightweight contest in favour of Buckland by a single point and the narrow 58-57 victory should see the St Joseph’s star progress to title contention.

The all-action approach was enough for Buckland to take the opening rounds but Fagan stayed disciplined and fought back during the middle sessions.

The final two rounds were fought at a frantic pace and Buckland’s extra output saw him through.

Buckland, who is trained by Tony Borg at St Joes in Newport, prematurely retired last November in reaction to suffering a shock upset against Liverpool’s inspired lightweight Sean Dodd.

However, ‘Dynamo’ will now shed five pounds and campaign back at super-featherweight.

If he regains the British title and defends it once more then he will meet the requirement to own the famed Lord Lonsdale strap forever.

Elsewhere on the undercard in Cardiff Bay, Blackwood’s Craig Evans also ended a seven-month period of inactivity and reversed a three-fight winless run.

The skilful southpaw started quickly and a speedy right hook bundled County Durham's Jordan Ellison to the floor in the second round.

Evans then settled at long range for a shutout points win over eight rounds.

The visitor recovered well and kept Evans on his toes for the remainder of the competitive bout.

The only real damage Evans sustained was a cut high on his scalp, which was caused by an accidental head clash in the final stanza.

It was Evans’ first win for nearly 19 months, having lost a British title fight against Lancashire’s Scott Cardle and shared two draws with Team GB’s 2012 Olympic captain Thomas Stalker for the WBO European strap.

The 26-year-old admits that he can make super-featherweight but a lack of opportunities means the only work he can get is five pounds north at lightweight.

It was a good night for Cwmbran trainer and manager Gary Lockett, whose quartet of Liam Williams, Alex Hughes, Dale Evans and Jay Harris all shined with wins.

Williams was defending his British and Commonwealth super-welterweight belts and beat fellow unbeaten boxer Gary Corcoran with an 11th-round knockout in a bad tempered affair.

The 24-year-old Rhondda native is quickly establishing himself as one of Welsh boxing’s biggest attractions.

Headlining Frank Warren’s first show in Wales for three years, Cuban superstar Guillermo Rigondeaux retained his WBA world super-bantamweight title.

The two-time Olympic champion is considered one of the best in the sport across all weight categories and he broke the jaw of Liverpool’s James ‘Jazza’ Dickens, forcing him to retire after just two rounds.

WBO world lightweight titlist Terry Flanagan also retained his belt with a lopsided decision against Africa’s faded former champion Mzonke Fana.