Ryan Aston is ready for ring return

Dudley's Ryan Aston today vowed to prove he's over his first loss as a professional by beating an opponent he believes to be better than the man who took his undefeated record.

Aston again supports IBF world super middleweight champion Carl Froch as the hometown hero headlines at the Nottingham Arena on Saturday night, live on Sky Sports.

Before Froch defends his crown against Yusaf Mack, Aston will undertake a six-rounder against Nottingham-born Tyan Booth, a former European Union and Midland title challenger.

It was for the area belt at middleweight that Aston was halted in two rounds by Curtis Valentine in July and the 21-year-old has been smarting ever since.

'Tank' insists this contest will show everyone his fighting pride has not diminished against the slippery Booth, who has proved tricky for southpaws in the past.

But Aston believes he's got his opponent scoped as he looks to take the first step on the right path back to stardom with a statement of intent on the televised bill.

He said: "It's a step up for me and I wanted that, I want to prove to people that last time was a hiccup and I have learned from it.

"It has made me a stronger person and things happen for a reason, I am just glad it happened early on in my pro career.

"Tyan is a better boxer than Valentine, in every sense of the word, he's on the back-foot all of the time with that long jab.

"I want him to come and have a fight, it gives people what they want to see."

Aston's corner chucked the towel in during the Valentine fight with their fighter entrenched in a brawl, which far suited Valentine better than the Black Country boxer.

That is a lesson the former Priory Park ABC amateur is adamant he has learned after admitting he got dragged down last time out.

He said: "I fought with my heart and not my head, that's what really lost me the fight, I should have fought clever instead of brawling.

"Any day of the week, I could have beaten Valentine, I don't know why I didn't just box him because I would have won.

"I am never going to make those mistakes again."

Aston's loss curtailed his progress in a crop of domestic middleweights that includes soon-to-be British title challengers Billy Joe Saunders and Nick Blackwell, not to mention Chris Eubank Jnr.

Eubank Jnr will be considered a scalp for anyone he steps in the ring with and, if he's back to winning ways, Aston is prepared to accept the challenge of proving who is 'simply the best.'

He said: "We have been talking about it for ages, me and Chris Eubank Jnr, it could happen and it would be a big fight.

"People want to see him fight him and beat him, I sparred him last year and he wasn't particularly impressive to me.

"Next year is a big one, let's see what happens."