IN A bid to hone his skills sufficiently for his next major contest, rough diamond Nick Blackwell is planning to go back to basics.

Last weekend, the Trowbridge champion made full use of his impressive power and stamina to win an exciting contest with Jack Arnfield, defending his sought-after British middleweight title for the second time with a unanimous points decision over his Blackpool opponent.

But Blackwell, who battled through a chest muscle injury, picked plenty of holes in his own performance at Bristol’s City Academy and is planning to return to Gary Lockett’s gym in Cardiff and play scholar as he looks to refine his fight game ahead of greater challenges next year.

“It was good for the fans. It was quite high-paced over 12 rounds and I was coming forward and throwing shots, so hopefully, the people back at home watched it and they enjoyed it,” said Blackwell.

“But boxing-wise, it wasn’t the best fight for me.

“I haven’t had an amateur background and I didn’t really learn any basics – I just went in there trying to blast people away and that’s what I’m still doing now.

“But you can’t always do that with people. Sometimes it doesn’t work.

“I wasn’t doing the basics but if I keep working in the gym, it will come. I’ve got to work on the boring stuff.

“The boring stuff is the stuff that’s going to make me a different fighter.

“If I’d have been moving me head, using my footwork and throwing my combinations, I would have got that kiddy out of there.

“When that big fight does come, in March or April time, I’ll have worked on those little things in the gym, I’ll be fit, I’ll know what I’m doing.”

Despite forcing his opponent to take a knee in the fifth round, Blackwell wasn’t able to secure a stoppage or dominate his clash with Arnfield – a late replacement for Elliott Matthews – on a technical level.

Trainer Lockett sees plenty of room for improvement and is taking heart from that assessment.

“He just needs to be a little more of a complete fighter,” said Lockett.

“Overall, it’s pleasing because he got another notch on the British title but there’s lots to work on.

“He needs to work on his defence and his footwork especially – he’s just a little bit square and that probably comes from having no amateur background.

“He’s got to punch more often and not let people off the hook.

“He had him ready to go a few times but he just took his foot off the gas.

“He just needs to think a little bit more and relax a little bit more but if he wasn’t improving at all, I’d be worried.

“He did some things that I haven’t seen before and when he lets the shots go, he looks really good.”