Thaxton has lost his last two fights

Jon Thaxton will fight John Murray for the vacant British lightweight title in Altrincham on 3 October.

The Norwich boxer, 34, is 10 years older than Murray and will go into the fight as a big underdog.

Thaxton has lost his last two fights and has rejected calls from his own family to retire.

"My dad said why don't you retire, he's going to stop you. I am going to make him eat those words," Thaxton told BBC Radio Norfolk.

Defeats by Anthony Mezaache in a European title fight in February and Tom Glover at welterweight division in July had raised questions about Thaxton's future in the sport.

But he maintains he has one big fight left in him: "I'm a massive underdog, he's an unbeaten fighter, a guy I really do respect.

"A lot of people have said to me 'why don't you hang up your gloves, why don't you retire' and I have thought about it but I just think life is full of if only's.

"I want to win that Lonsdale belt outright and if I win I have got it on the mantelpiece," added Thaxton.

John Murray lost the British lightweight belt in June after failing to make the 9st 9lbs limit ahead of his planned defence against Scott Lawton.

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