BURY boxing star Ady Lewis is hell bent on regaining his British and Commonwealth bantamweight title - and with good reason.

Because The Mighty Atom - Britain's shortest boxer - reckons he never should have lost them in the first place!

Lewis is due to take on current holder, Nottingham's Nicky Booth, in Booth's home town on Monday, February 29 and the Bury man can't wait to get cracking.

"I've been training hard and sparring well and though Booth is a handy lad, I'm confident I can regain the titles," he said.

"The way I lost them just makes me more determined to win them back and set the record straight."

It was back in September that an eye cut, caused by an accidental clash of heads, meant Ulsterman Tommy Waite drove out of Bowlers, Trafford Park, with both of Lewis's belts after referee Mark Green called a halt to the bout without giving his seconds a chance to treat the wound.

With one of the best 'cuts men' in the boxing game, Benny King, in his corner it was a bitter pill to swallow for the Bury man and his trainer and manager Tara boss Jack Doughty.

"I had won all four rounds," added Lewis, "and would have stopped him pretty soon. I was already two points up after he took a standing count in the second round." After such a controversial ending a rematch was agreed but the cat was thrown among the pigeons when Belfast battler Waite sensationally lost his first defence weeks later against the up-and-coming Booth.

Doughty reckons his man is in tip top condition despite having plastic surgery on the eye injury that cost him his belts.

"The scar left a ridge that could have been a problem so Ady went into hospital to have some work done on it," he explained.

"It's fine now, but he hasn't been able to do any sparring until recently though his work in the gym and on the road has been incredible.

"We are having to hold him back to make sure he doesn't overtrain and he's only three pounds above the bantamweight level even now!"

Casual observers might believe that kind of determination will be needed to wrestle the titles from the highly-rated youngster - who is turned 20 - in his own backyard.

And with Booth's older brother Jason defending his British and Commonwealth flyweight titles on the night there's sure to be a partisan crowd to cheer on the local heroes.

But Lewis saves his best performances against opponents on their home turf.

He defeated Scotland's Keith Knox for the British flyweight title in Glasgow, defended it against the Liverpudlian world flyweight champion Peter Culshaw on Merseyside and last year won the British and Commonwealth bantamweight crowns against Francis Ampofo in his Bethnal Green home.

"I think sometimes there is more pressure on a boxer who is in front of his own fans," said Lewis. "The onus is on them to do well and it doesn't always work out like that."

The fight is to be televised on Sky TV with the venue likely to be the Harvey Haddon Stadium in Nottingham.