CWMBRAN middleweight Gary Lockett has been handed his third change of opponent on the Newport Centre world title bill on Friday - and the result is he is back on familiar territory.

He was originally due to meet Birmingham's Wayne Ellcock in a WBU world title eliminator before former champion Ellcock pulled out with a shoulder injury.

A Commonwealth title shot then beckoned before 'The Rocket' was launched against Zimbabwe's Farai Musiiwa, again in a world title eliminator.

But four days later his opponent has changed again and now he goes in over ten rounds against Michael Monaghan, an opponent he beat narrowly on points in Cardiff in June 2003.

Though this time not an official title eliminator, Lockett is regarding it as such as he will be the first in line when champion Eugenio Montero of Portugal is stripped of his world title, as expected, after failing a drugs test.

And it also gives Lockett, 27, the chance to prove once and for all to 28-year-old Monaghan that his last display against the Nottingham man was not the real Rocket.

"Last time we met I stupidly took the fight at two weeks notice after a two-weeks holiday," said Lockett, "while he was well prepared after several weeks training and sparring with Joe Calzaghe.

"I also had a bug in the run up to the fight and as a result I underperformed.

"He didn't do anything for six rounds, then started to showboat before throwing a few punches in the last two rounds and he raised his hands believing he had won," said Lockett.

"I thought I had done enough and the referee agreed but it was not the real me and I ended up dehydrated in hospital afterwards."

Since then Lockett has had an operation to improve his breathing and has KO'd Kreshnick Qato in two and Matt Galer in 4 to take his record to 22 wins and one defeat in 23 fights,

Monaghan has gone on to gain two points wins before losing a four-rounder to Ellcock on points in June to complete a record of 14 wins (10 KOs) and ten losses.

"I would rather have been fighting Ellcock or Musiiwa because fighting the best brings out the best in me," said Lockett, "but Monaghan will give me a decent fight though I don't see there are any records to put straight. "As for the world title, the WBU could hand it to me if Montero is stripped of it, but I want to win it in the ring and I don't mind who they put in front of me."

On the same Newport bill, which features Swansea WBU world cruiserweight champion Enzo Maccarinelli's fifth title defence against Jesper Kristiansen of Denmark, other Gwent boxers Gavin Rees, Bradley Pryce, Tony Doherty and Jamie Arthur will be in action.

Light-welterweight Doherty faces the highly durable Pontefract boxer Peter Dunn over six rounds as he bids to make it ten out of ten as a pro.

Dunn has lost 32 and drawn three of his 44 fights, but is hard to stop and the 29-year-old has lost his last 12 fights on points.

It will be another learning fight for Doherty who, at 21, looks destined for the very top.

"I've seen Dunn box," he said."He's basically a brawler and a spoiler. He comes to fight but he's nothing I can't handle.

"If I don't stop him then it will be a massive points win.

"I'm in great shape, but I'm not sure why they keep putting me in against light-middleweights. But I'm learning all the time and that's the idea at this stage."

British lightweight contender and former world light-welterweight contender Gavin Rees of Newbridge meets self-managed 34-year-old Wolverhampton boxer Carl Allen over eight rounds.

Allen has lost 36 and drawn 5 of his 59 fights and is a world-ranked 750. He was twice beaten by Bradley Pryce, once on points over four and then on a third round TKO, early in Pryce's career and looks certain to become 24-year-old Rees' unlucky 13th KO victim in a so-far unblemished 21-fight career.

Pryce, as previewed in the Argus last week, meets tough Nigerian Ajose Olusegen, winner of all his 13 fights while Arthur is still waiting to hear his opponent.