AS WIDNES boxer Liam Kavanagh stepped up for round two in the National Senior Novice Championship final, he turned to his long-time coach Jack Ryan and vowed: "I'm going to win this."

Two minutes later, he had, ending months of preparation and disappointment that have seen him receive walkovers in every round of the competition.

The 23-year-old light welterwight has not had to fight one opponent in the run up to the final, last Saturday, against the Army's Dean Hardy, but made his patience pay-off - and a dream come true.

His coaches at Widnes Boxing Club, Ryan and his assistant Wayne Booth, will have had fears that their fighter would be a little ring rusty going into the bout, fears that were no doubt compounded when Kavanagh hit the floor halfway through the first.

"He was a bit cold when he went out there and he got caught in the middle of the round," explained Ryan. "He took the count and got up, but you could see his legs were like rubber.

"We just shook our heads, we'd thought he'd had it. How he survived that was through sheer fitness.

"At the end of the round, we got him back in our corner and had him cleared up - and when he went back out, he turned around and said, 'Jack, I'm going to win this'."

What followed was the most important three minutes of Kavanagh's amateur career so far.

Noticing his opponent was open to body shots, he pummelled Hardy with a combination of clever body punches before unleashing a right hook to the chin to leave the soldier out for the count.

Liam told World Sport on Monday: "I was absolutely made up. It was a great fight.

"He Hardy told me after the fight that he knew I hadn't fought for a bit and he'd tried to catch me cold...but I didn't rush I just gave him enough rope to hang himself.

"He was one of the biggest hitters I have been in with and I've now proved I can mix it with the best of them. I ended the final with a knock out - and you can't do much better than that."

The win was testament to the hard work the boxer has put in during the season, working with Booth practically every day. And, despite the constant disappointment of walkovers, Ryan still believes there is no one fitter in the amateur sport.

"Wayne on the pads has been amazing and both he and Jack have had to deal with all the ups and downs. There have been times when I've asked myself if it's all worth it - and it was," added the jubilant boxer.

"Apart from winning the title, which I've now done, I've always wanted to represent England. Hopefully this win will raise my profile. The lads in the team have been fighting at that level for years, I've got to just get in there."

And as well as recognition on a national level, Jack Ryan also feels the local one should be just as great. "Widnes should be proud of its champ," he said. "The kids at the club go mad to have a spar with him - he's a hero to them."