NEWPORT light-middleweight Paul Samuels has shrugged off a couple of injury scares and is bang on course for his IBO title rematch with champion Richard Williams at the Brentwood International Centre on December 7.

Samuels is confident he can lift the title and still claims he was robbed on his initial challenge back in May when Williams retained his crown after an alleged clash of heads.

Samuels was ahead according to most pundits and Williams was already cut when referee Richie Davies decided another deep cut was the result of an accidental collision.

He stopped the contest and as only three rounds had taken place, a technical draw was the result under WBO rules and Williams was still champion.

Samuels, 29, insisted this week: "The title should have been mine the first time. They know it was not a clash of heads that caused the first fight to be stopped.

"If it had happened to me defending a title I would have lost it, but they gave the champion the benefit.

"It was a rubbish decision. It was a left hook that opened up the bad cut.

"They have looked at TV replays since and at the slow motion and there was no clash.

"But I'm confident I can put it right next time. I know I've got the ability and I'm just waiting for the day to arrive"

Since that defeat the return has been postponed three times for various reasons, but Samuels doesn't intend another delay.

"A shoulder problem and an elbow injury, a bit like tennis elbow, has hindered my preparations a little bit, but I'm 100% for the fight," said Samuels, who is trained by former Welsh super featherweight champion Tony Borg.

Meanwhile, Newport boxer Mo Nassir bids to add to his list of titles when he competes in the finals of the NACYP championships in Manchester next month.

The NACYP championships are the former National Association of Boys Clubs Championships and on his way to the finals Nassir has already defeated some top opponents.

In the Welsh 48k preliminaries he defeated former Welsh champions Lee Forte and Chris Davies on points before defeating the highly-rated Nathan Bibby of Finchley in the quarter-finals.

His scheduled semi-final opponent, Stephen Cole of the famous Repton club, withdrew to leave Yemen-born Nassir a bye to the finals at the Wythenshawe Forum on December 13.

Nassir, 17, who lives at Pill, Newport, and boxes for St Jospehs BC, is unbeaten in internationals for Wales. He has won seven Welsh schoolboy and youth titles and was a gold medal winner in last year's Four Nations.

He moves up to senior next year and hopes to add the Welsh light-flyweight title to his list at the first attempt.