Ricky Boylan has vowed to come back stronger after a second attempt at the English super lightweight title ended in failure.

The Carshalton boxer lost to Tommy Martin on an unanimous points decision (278-293) at the O2 Arena on Saturday night.

While the 26-year-old knows why he lost, he had issues with the margin of the defeat.

However, Boylan could not deny he deserved to lose.

“I could not get going at all, even during the warm up my legs felt like lead weights,” he said.

“It’s really disappointing because I know I am better than him, but when it mattered most I did not perform.

“I put on too much weight between the weigh-in and the fight, and my body could not cope, it almost went into shock.

“I felt sluggish and lethargic – my mind was on fire, I knew exactly what I had to do, unfortunately my legs could not keep up.”

Wimbledon Times:

Sluggish: Ricky Boylan, left, admitted to feeling lethargic and sluggish during his title bout defeat to Tommy Martin

He added: “I’ve watched the fight back, and I deserved to lose, but I thought the judges’ points were off.

“With two rounds to go, my corner was telling me I had a shout at winning, which suggests something different, but in truth, I lost fair and square.”

Following his first failed attempt to get his hands on the belt in October when he lost to Tyler Goodjohn, this subsequent defeat will drop Boyland down the pecking order.

However, for the time being Boylan is taking a well-deserved break.

“I will take three weeks out to spend time with the family, and Eddie [Hearn, promoter] told me to brush myself down before going again,” he said.

“I need to have some patience because I know I almost need to start again – I’ll probably drop back to six-round fights, but I will be back.”