Confident Mark eyes title shot

AMBITION: Ronnie Heffron is keen to climb the boxing ladder in 2014.

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Boxing:
OLDHAM’S middleweight hopeful Mark Heffron is gunning for a title chance during what is set to be an exciting 2014.

Heffron (22) has won all his eight professional contests, seven of them inside the distance.

In November he stopped opponent Achilles Szabo after only 30 seconds to further enhance his reputation.

Heffron will be back in the ring on February 15 at the National Stadium in Dublin against Argentinian hard man Mateo Damian Veron.

The Oldham ace said: “It promises to be a good year for me, and I want a title shot. I’m looking forward to Dublin now and that’s going to be a great show. I’ve fought there before and the atmosphere is brilliant.

“Training has been good – I was in the gym a lot over Christmas – so February 15 can’t come quick enough.”

One domestic rival Heffron already has in his sights is fellow unbeaten prospect Adam ‘The Bomber’ Etches. Also 22, Sheffield-based Etches has 12 knockouts from 15 fights on his CV and is an IBF junior middleweight champion.

Meanwhile, Mark’s 23-year-old brother Ronnie is back on the title trail after seeing his WBO European belt chance scuppered by injury in December.

Ronnie – who has lost only once in 15 fights as a pro, will face Scot John Thain at the Aintree Equestrian Centre on March 1. Thain is unbeaten in 11 fights but the local favourite will be confident of winning and getting a shot at Joe Selkirk’s European belt.