FORMER Common-wealth gold medallist Jamie Arthur, who turned professional with high expectations of a lucrative career, has stunned the sport by quitting after just 11 fights.

The Cwmbran super-featherweight has suffered a nightmare 2005, losing his unbeaten record in March to Haider Ali due to a bad cut and following it up with a disappointing fifth round stoppage to Harry Ramakgoadi in Edinburgh in July.

That defeat led to his promotion company, Frank Warren's Sports Network cancelling his contract and now Arthur has decided to hang up his gloves at the age of just 25 years-old.

"I decided that I'd had enough," Arthur said. "Boxing is such a cut-throat business, it's brutal really, and you have to fight constantly if you are to make any money.

"It is an extremely difficult way to make a living, you lose two fights and that's it.

"In the last two years I have got myself into so much debt, I just thought that enough is enough.

"I am 25 years-old now and I had a tough decision to make about my future. Quitting boxing was not an easy decision to take because I have been doing it for 16 years."

The Cwmbran fighter had been down to fight on the undercard of Joe Calzaghe's WBO super middleweight defence against Evans Ashira at the Cardiff International Arena this Saturday, with his name even appearing on posters advertising the bill.

Arthur, who picked up Commonwealth gold in Manchester in 2002, now hopes eventually to go into coaching and help nurture Wales' boxing stars of the future.

"I have too much experience not to have something to offer," he said. "I have won the Commonwealth gold medal, had nearly 85 fights as an amateur plus nine Welsh titles and gone pro, so I think I have something to put back into the sport.

"I still love boxing and want to be involved but not in the ring.

"Luckily I had the sense to go to college and I have something to fall back on.

"Too many young people throw themselves into it and when it doesn't work out, they have nothing to go back to.

He added: "I am going to take some time out and get myself organised and then see what I want to do from there.

"I have to thanks a lot of people who have helped me in boxing, Darryl Moss at DJ's Refrigeration, and my trainers Chris Manley, Kevin Howells, Tony Borg and Enzo Calzaghe.

"It might take me six months and a year to figure out what I want to do, but Enzo has told me to always keep the door open."