GARY 'The Rocket' Lockett has put aside all thoughts of quitting boxing and has told his fans, "I'll be back stronger than ever."

The Cwmbran light-middleweight suffered tremendous damage in losing his WBO inter-continental title on a split decision to Russian Yuri Tsarenko nine days ago in Cardiff.

He broke a knuckle socket, a bone in his left hand and a broken nose as well as badly bruising his right hand - all in the first three rounds.

And after the fight he received almost 40 stitches to facial cuts and was really down despite one of the bravest displays by a British fighter in decades.

But gradually his confidence has returned and though his injuries will keep him out of the ring until August, he said: "I don't mind if my first comeback fight is a return with Tsarenko. "I'm confident I'll beat him next time."

Lockett, winner of 16 straight fights before his title defeat, added: "I know I said after the fight I felt like quitting, but I was never going to. I'll come back a better fighter.

"Despite my injuries, I thought I'd won the fight. If I can push him to a split decision with injuries like that, think what I'd do to him without them. No disrespect, but I've beaten better fighters than him.

"He's a tough little nut but I thought I won five of the first seven rounds and that I'd won the fight by a point or two.

"But sometimes people look at your face and think you've taken a pasting when you haven't."

Lockett has had problems with hand injuries in the past but says there's no permanent problem.

He said: "All punchers have hand problems and we were using Mexico super-reyes gloves as well, punchers' gloves which don't have much padding. "I'm not downhearted in any way. You have the knockers having a bit of a laugh at your expense.

"They sit in the pub and slag you off. "But you have to have thick skin in this game and I don't take any notice of people like that.

"I showed a lot of guts. Anybody else would have pulled out with those injuries. "But I'm not that kind of person and I thought I could box my way through and win on points.

"I want to thank everybody for their support. It's been absolutely brilliant. "I've had calls from people telling me to fight back - and I will," vowed Lockett.