By Aus-boxing.com

IF his desire and will to win are anything to go by, Les Sherrington should give Jayde Mitchell a run for his money.

The Gold Coast-based Sherrington has faced a murderers row of super middleweights in a credible career that has spanned over fifteen years. But even at 34, the likeable veteran believes he still has a lot to give.

“My motivation to continue fighting is I still believe I have a lot more that I can still do in the sport,” said Sherrington to Aus-Boxing. “Each day in the gym I still feel I am improving heaps and I truly believe that you haven’t seen the best of me in any of my previous fights.”

“My motivation to fight is and always has been for a better life for me and my girls doing what I love, boxing.”

Sherrington (35-9, 19 KOs) will challenge the fast-rising Jayde Mitchell (11-1, 5 KOs) for one of his three regional straps, being the interim WBA Oceania bauble, when the pair collide within Melbourne Park’s sporting precinct on Saturday night. Despite being inactive for just shy of twelve months, Sherrington has made it clear that this fight is a perfect fit.

“This fight was very appealing to me and my team because coming off fighting two world rated fighters in Zac Dunn and Antoine Douglas, I wanted another big fight to re-establish myself and my career,” he explained.

“With Jayde being a top Aussie boxing star on the rise with a world rating, what better way to burst back onto the scene?”

By its own nature, boxing and its fans are often fickle. In many ways, a fighter is only as good as his last performance. For that reason, Sherrington is eager to erase the memories of his last performance, a three-round stoppage at the hands of the hard-hitting Zac Dunn, who now holds the Commonwealth super middleweight title.

To Sherrington’s credit, the fight was taken with only a handful of weeks to prepare. And despite the loss, Sherrington admits that he would take a rematch if given time to prepare accordingly.

“I would love the opportunity to fight Zac again with more than a couple of weeks training,” he quipped. “I didn’t really learn any lessons (from that fight), it just reiterated something I already knew, that being do not take fights under prepared and unfit,”

“But I took the gamble and it didn’t come off.”

With no immediate plans beyond Saturday night, Sherrington realises the opportunity that he has been afforded will serve a springboard to bigger fights, both home and abroad, providing he upsets the odds.

“A win over Jayde Mitchell is a must and training has been great in the lead up to this fight,” he concluded. “I am looking forward to getting back in the ring after nearly twelve months off again. Melbourne, you are in for a cracker.”