Warburton 'knocking on door' for world title shot

Gerome Warburton has won 17 of his 21 professional fights [Getty Images] Welsh middleweight Gerome Warburton says it is "madness" to think he could be on the brink of a world title shot. Warburton stunned former British champion Nathan Heaney with an unanimous win to secure the WBA Continental Middleweight title in March. The 30-year-old from Colwyn Bay says the victory at Manchester's Co-Op Live Arena still feels "surreal".

"When I first set out as a professional boxer, I only had my eyes on maybe a British title even when I won the Welsh," Warburton told BBC Sport Wales. "But I'm ranked 11th now with WBA in the world, so it's madness really to think that I could be knocking on the door for a world title. " The bout against Stoke-on-Trent's Heaney had originally been scheduled for January, but was postponed because of an injury to headliner Moses Itauma before his heavweight contest against Jermaine Franklin.

Heaney was backed by more than 2,000 supporters in the 15,000 crowd in Manchester and had promised a "bear pit atmosphere". "I knew it was going to be tough," Warburton said. "I knew it was going to be very hostile - Heaney sold a lot of tickets and I was the away fighter as well, so nothing was on my side.

"But from the time that I was in the hotel, the weigh-in, the press conference, I was just switched on from the beginning. "I knew that it was a fight that I couldn't lose. " Gerome Warburton celebrates his win with son Roman [Getty Image] Warburton dedicated the win to his son Roman, who proudly held aloft the WBA Continental belt following the fight.