Gareth Gardner has promised to finish 2012 off on a high by defending his Queensbury Boxing League British Middleweight title against Leicester’s highly touted challenger Nathan Leeson.

The 28-year-old from New Addington has enjoyed a whirlwind 12 months since joining the ranks of the Queensbury Boxing League, picking up titles in three different weight divisions, and headlining several high profile shows on British Eurosport.

And Gardner is confident of delivering an early Christmas present to his fans this Saturday by beating the number one ranked challenger for his crown.

Gardner said: “It’s been an amazing year for me, and like always I’m going into this fight really confident that I will still be the champion when the final bell has rung out.

“I don’t know much about Leeson, but I’ve been told he’s elusive and has some good power, but my major strength is my work rate and the fact I just keep throwing punches all night long, so he’s going to have the toughest night of his life.”

He added: “Although I’ve beaten every boxer that’s been put in front of me this year, I still feel that I’ve not shown my true potential, so for this fight I really want to go back to my boxing and work behind the jab and really put on a performance that everyone will remember.”

Also featuring in a packed pre-Christmas bill is Croydon’s Tony Clemmey getting his first crack at title glory when he takes on Kingston’s Danny Parsons for his Southern Area Lightweight title.

Meanwhile, Steve Orford, also from Croydon, defends his Southern Area Cruiserweight title against Morden challenger Dean Hanley.

For more information on the Queensbury Boxing League meeting, visit queensburyboxing.co.uk