Stalker is hoping to fight at the London Olympics in 2012

Former amateur lightweight world champion Frankie Gavin is tipping Huyton's Tom Stalker to win a medal at the London Olympics in 2012.

Birmingham's Gavin, 24, was an international colleague of Stalker, 24, before deciding to turn professional after the Beijing Olympics.

"He's only been at number one for two years, so 2012 is going to be his time," Gavin told BBC Radio Merseyside.

"I'd put a bet on him getting a medal at the Olympics in 2012, definitely."

Stalker, who reached the final of this year's ABA Championships, is the current British champion at lightweight level.

The St Aloysius stylist suffered a frustrating World Championships in Milan in September, losing to Everton Lopes of Brazil in the third round.

But Gavin believes it is still too early to judge his successor in the international arena.

It's brilliant, I boxed there about 20 times as an amateur Frankie Gavin on boxing in Liverpool

"If you remember the Olympics where Amir Khan got the silver, at the next World Championships they [Great Britain] only got the one bronze," he said.

"It's all about the next World's, the ones before the Olympics really.

"It's just learning really and experience, it's the next ones that matter, the ones where you qualify for the Olympics," added Gavin.

Gavin has won his first three bouts as a professional and is scheduled to fight for a fourth time at the Echo Arena, Liverpool on 30 October.

His fight comes on the undercard of Tony Quigley's British super-middleweight title defence against Paul Smith Jr.

And he says he cannot wait to fight in a city which holds so many happy memories for him from his amateur days.

"It's brilliant," he said. "I boxed there about 20 times as an amateur. I just used to fight in the Olympia and I always used to get a good reception so I can't wait."

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