FLEDGLING Gwent professional Kieran Gething has signed a contract to make former Commonwealth king Jamie Arthur his new manager.

There were reports earlier this week that Cwmbran’s Arthur would coach the Pontypool super-welterweight, but Gething says this is not the case.

Lyndon James will continue to train the three-fight pro, a national champion in his amateur days, while Arthur is going to manage his affairs.

With Arthur’s support and the backing of Mo Prior’s Welsh Fight Academy, Gething, 23, is hoping that a title shot is not too far away.

Gething tries for back-to-back wins in the paid code tonight when he goes up against journeyman William Warburton on a Prior promotion at Swansea’s LC2.

“I’ve signed a contract with Jamie Arthur so he is going to manage me from now on, but I’m still being trained by Lyndon James in Pontypool,” said Gething.

“There was a story on a boxing website that said Jamie is now my coach but that’s not the case.

“Linking up with Jamie came about through Geraint Goodridge, another Welsh pro I know who came down to my gym to spar with me.

“He is trained by Jamie who came to watch Geraint sparring.

“Jamie and I started talking and he said he wanted to start putting on boxing shows, and he was on about doing one close to me.

“I knew of Jamie before but hadn’t spoken to him.

“He came across as a really honest guy and that means a lot to me.”

He added: “It’s a Welsh Fight Academy show in Swansea and they were the promoters for my last fight as well. They’re going to help me build towards a title fight and I’m hoping I can get one before the end of the year, but that’s not 100 per cent yet.”

Father-of-one Gething has brushed off a knuckle problem ahead of his clash with 150-fight Warburton, who has been stopped just twice in 118 defeats.

Despite his opponents’ rather unenviable record, Gething is aware that he will be no pushover during their six-round contest.

“It’s his 151st fight so he’s been around the block,” he added. “He’s the type of journeyman that other journeymen look up to.

“When he sees a weakness in somebody he really puts it on them.

“He has caused a couple of upsets and beaten Mano Lee, who’s also on the bill, twice.”

After drawing with Kevin McCauley on his pro debut last November, Gething was beaten by Aaron Sutton in March.

He got off the mark courtesy of a points triumph over Rob Brown two months later, a fight which also took place in Swansea.

Meanwhile, St Joseph’s' newest pro Lance Cooksey returns to Swansea tonight looking for a repeat of the result he got there on his paid debut in May.

The 27-year-old from Rhoose in the Vale of Glamorgan locks horns with durable journeyman Joe Beeden over four rounds at the LC2.

Cooksey enjoyed a winning start to life in the paid ranks two months ago when comfortably outpointing Michael Mooney, a bout that also took place in Wales’ second city.

His triumph came on Welsh Fight Academy’s maiden promotion, and it’s another Mo Prior show for Cooksey this time around.

Trainer Tony Borg was suitably impressed with his charge’s performance at the Brangwyn Hall, as Cooksey won all four rounds against Worcester’s Mooney.

In Beeden, he fights someone with only two wins to his name from a total of 51 contests, Cooksey’s St Joes stablemate Gavin Gwynne among his conquerors.

However, while Beeden may have lost 48 times, including his last 18 bouts, he is a boxer who is notoriously hard to stop.

In fact, if Cooksey manages to beat Beeden inside the distance he will become only the fifth fighter to do so.

Explaining how Cardiff-born Cooksey ended up at St Joes, and his qualities, Borg said: “He’s a very good kid and his dad brought him to the gym.

“I boxed in the amateurs with his dad and he was a British Schools champion.

“Lance has won Welsh junior, youth and senior titles, and a couple of multi-nations golds as well.

“He wanted to turn pro and he did that with me, and he’s had one fight which he won.

“He’s very fast, very sharp and very fit, he’s a proper athlete.”

Other Welshmen on the bill include Mano Lee, Ricky Owen, Jay Harris and Robert Studzinski.

For hometown favourite Owen, his fight against Jamie Quinn is a first in the paid code in nearly six years.