Shropshire boxer Mark Lloyd believes 2009 will be the year he finally receives the green light for an on-off British title challenge.

The 33-year-old from Shifnal was pencilled in for a New Year meeting with current British welterweight champion Kell Brook, only for the fight to be postponed when the British Boxing Board of Control refused to sanction it after claiming Lloyd was too low in the rankings. 

That was of huge disappointment to the affable Shropshire puncher, a plumber by trade, but he remains determined to earn a shot at the prestigious title.

“I was gutted when it was postponed – it was absolutely heartbreaking,” he said.

“I was told I had got the fight and was even ready to cancel my holiday to Egypt over Christmas to prepare. 

“But then I got a phone call from Errol Johnson (trainer and promoter) telling me not to bother because the fight was off.

“It was really disappointing but it’s just made me more determined to fight for the British title.

“That’s my aim for 2009 and I think if I get the shot, I would have a great chance of winning it.”

Following that postponement, Lloyd was originally pencilled in for a Midlands light-middleweight title showdown with Max Maxwell in Birmingham.

But a change of plan for Maxwell has also led to that fight being scrapped, leaving Johnson to focus on an appearance at the NIA in the second city on February 29, in a show which is set to feature Amir Khan, as well as former amateurs James Degale, an Olympic gold medalist in Bejing, and Frankie Gavin.

“I’ve been around boxing long enough now just to leave all the organising to Errol and I will go and box where he tells me to,” added Lloyd.

“I thought I was fighting Maxwell so I was training every other day in Egypt.

“I found a good gym so I was doing my running, my skipping and some shadow boxing – I must have looked a bit of a prat to the other people in the gym!

“I’m in good shape so the plan is to work the next month as a plumber and then take a month off in February to get ready for the Birmingham fight.”