KELVIN Young has promised that he will be a new man when he steps into the ring on Friday night.

The Penhill pugilist will be in his first fight since his shock eighth-round stoppage defeat to Kiril Psonko in November in a non-title light-heavyweight contest.

That loss saw Young stripped of his IBO inter-continental super-middleweight crown and left his career in tatters.

Now the 27-year-old will start the rebuilding process on the ‘World Awaits’ show at the Oasis Leisure Centre when he faces Joe Walsh.

“I feel good,” said Young, who now has a new team behind him since splitting with Richard Farnan.

“I have been having some real good training and I have been sparring down in Wales and Gloucester.

“I have got more confidence and I’m looking forward to getting back in the ring and getting back to winning ways.

“I have changed a lot of things but I’m enjoying it and a happy fighter is a dangerous fighter.

“I’m very happy at the moment and learning new things all the time, and I think on fight night, you will see a different Kelvin Young.”

Should he come through the Walsh fight unscathed, the former Southern Area super-middleweight champion will step up to light-heavyweight to face the undefeated Chris Hobbs for the British Masters Bronze title on March 28.

But Young insists he is not looking past Walsh, although he knows, to get back to the level he was at, he will need to be busier than he was before.

“It is good to know that I’m going to be boxing regularly – that is two fights in a space of six weeks. That’s going to be great.

“At this stage of my career - I’m 27-years-old, I’m 28 in April - I want to be busier. Three fights, for me, isn’t enough.

“To get me back to the level I want to be at, I need to rack up six or seven wins this year.”