Country comes first for boxing Marine

Halesowen welterweight Keith Sheen admits his country comes before boxing as the Royal Marine looks to get his career kick-started a week on Sunday.

The 30-year-old is set to face Birmingham's Andrew Patterson on the undercard of Wolverhampton's first ever online pay-per-view at the Civic Hall, only his third fight since turning professional in September 2008.

Sheen has seen a number of planned bouts fall by the wayside, including two bouts with much-vaunted Coventry prospect James Flinn - and this is even the second time he has been paired with Patterson.

But on two occasions the still-serving officer has been called away to serve for queen and country, hindering his boxing hopes in the process, and the fighter concedes juggling the two will continue to be difficult.

He said: "It's just work, it's really busy in the Armed Forces full stop as you can imagine. The job dictates my life, to be honest, and it's always going to be like that.

"Boxing is my hobby, I enjoy it and put 110 per cent into it, but as far as life commitments go the job comes first. Who knows what could happen in the future, but that is the way it is now.

"It's the nature of serving your country, it's not a nine to five job."

But Sheen has warned Patterson to forget any notion that will be taking on a rusty opponent as the Marines give him special dispensation for training, although rules state he can no longer box for the forces after turning pro.

But the Halesowen fighter can spar with the Navy and Royal Marines boxing teams to his heart's content, and is now back in the Black Country to tune up ahead of the fight.

Sheen also has a loss to avenge, after suffering a blemish on his record with a points defeat to International Masters champion Jamie Way in Bristol just before Christmas.

He said: "I thought that decision was well wide of the margin, the way the referee scored it, but that is the way it goes boxing away from home. To go away and beat a lad on his home turf you have to take it away from them, and that is no disrespect to Jamie because he fought a good fight.

"But it wasn't a defeat in my eyes, the kid had eight wins on his record already, lost one on points and won a Masters title so was a step up for me really."

For tickets, contact 07968 464 477.

The 12-fight show will also be broadcast online live on pay-per view at a cost of just £2.99, through Hatton TV at www.brandhatton.com.