ST Joseph's fighter Gavin Gwynne is eyeing a big homecoming event after becoming European lightweight champion.

The 33-year-old triumphed against previously unbeaten Italian Emiliano Marsili to add to his British belt after a dramatic bout at York Hall.

The Welshman was down on two of the scorecards when Marsili retired on his stool at the start of the ninth round with a shoulder injury.

Gwynne, who beat Newport's Craig Woodruff in Cardiff in April, is now eyeing top events in 2024.

“I want a big night in Wales now, hopefully in March, I've been in the gym since April so I will have Christmas off then get back to it,” said the Frank Warren-promoted boxer.

"World-level fighters, I can't see them hurting me. Their skill level is decent but their power isn't up there, I would give anyone in the top 10 a hard fight.”

Former world champion Carl Frampton, working on the event for television, labelled Gwynne’s tactics as “reckless” and said his performance was “absolutely dreadful”

However, the ‘Merthyr Mexican’ insisted he was always in control of the fight against a tricky opponent.

“The first couple of rounds I gave away, I’m always like that just to suss him out,” said Gwynne. “I started coming back into it, getting into my gameplan [as] he started to slow down.

“The last round we said that he was gone; his legs were gone. [If] we start to trade blows, that’s the end of him, then he pulled himself out with injury. I don’t think it was an injury.

"I just love to have a war. They don’t hurt me, these lightweights, when they punch me clean, they don’t hurt.

"I just want to keep progressing. I am dedicated beyond belief and I want to keep on improving, getting as many belts as possible and making as much money as possible, that’s the dream for any boxer.”