NEW Welsh super-lightweight king Kieran Gething was “very pleased and very relieved” to land a first professional belt at the second time of asking on Saturday night.

The 24-year-old, who missed out on the welterweight title just three months ago, outpointed Cardiff’s Henry Janes in a fast-paced contest at The Neon in Newport.

Groundhog Day it may have been but there was to be no repeat of that defeat to Tony Dixon last October for Pontypool dad-of-two Gething (7-2-1).

He was awarded the bout 99-92 by referee Reece Carter, below, and is now hoping for another title fight on St David’s Day when he appears on MTK Global’s promotion in Cardiff.

South Wales Argus:

Speaking after his triumph on the sell-out British Warriors Boxing Promotions show, Gething said: “I’m a little bit disappointed I didn’t perform slightly better, but I won the fight and I’ve got my title.

“It was a more difficult fight than I anticipated in that I thought my size would have paid dividends a bit more.

“I would have liked a stoppage, but he is a tricky customer and I actually thought it was one or two rounds closer.

“But I’m very pleased and very relieved, and now I can go on to challenge for other titles and not stress about having never won one.

“I’ve got the monkey off my back and I can be a bit calmer about winning a belt, and as long as I keep working hard in the gym, I’ll keep progressing.”

He added: “In a way, it does mean a little bit more to win a title after losing my last fight because I honestly believe I’m levels above it.

“But, at the same time, if I’d never won then I’d have been so disappointed because I’ve been junior, youth and senior Welsh champion and now I’m a professional Welsh champion.

“How many people can say they’ve done that?”

Gething continued: “I plan to fight on March 1. If they can get me a shot at a title then I’d love to go for it again, depending on the opponent and if the money is right.

“If not, I’d be looking at a good runout against a solid opponent and then let’s hope there’s something big in the summer.”

There was also a degree of poignancy about Gething’s victory as it came almost five years to the day since dad Gary, a professional boxer himself, passed away.

“He’d have been like a baby, crying his eyes out,” said Gething when asked what his dad’s reaction would have been to him becoming a Welsh champion.

“He obviously had a big part in me being a boxer, but he never pushed me into it, he was just very proud of me.”

Meanwhile, there was success too for Newport’s own Craig Woodruff (7-4), who outpointed Englishman Jordan Ellison 60-55 in a six-round lightweight contest.

Fellow Welshmen Rhys Edwards, Angelo Dragone, Maredudd Thomas and Chris Jenkins were also victorious on the night.