CWMBRAN super-bantamweight Jamie Arthur could be set for a rematch with Scott Quigg after a controversial stoppage defeat to the British champion on Saturday.

Arthur, who came out of retirement to challenge Quigg, had his highly-rated opponent on the canvas in the fourth round but his third attempt at claiming the British title ultimately ended in failure.

Having fully recovered by the fifth round, the unbeaten champion asserted himself better from then on.

A cut opened up near Arthur’s right eye in the seventh and, early in the eighth, referee Mark Green stopped it as the challenger seemed troubled by a body shot.

But that decision enraged Arthur and manager Chris Sanigar.

“It wasn’t a fair stoppage,” said the former Commonwealth champion, who previously lost British title bouts to Martin Lindsay and Jason Booth.

“It was a good shot, right in the solar plexus, but I was just winded and turned away to my side to get a bit of wind into me.

“It’s disappointing. I put him down in the fourth and it turned into a barnstorming fight. I came here and proved a credit to myself.”

A furious Sanigar added: “How can you be stopped for that? It was a good punch but I just cannot conceive how a stoppage can come from that.

“I spoke to the referee and he said ‘in the next round he might have got stopped’ but you don’t know what’s going to happen.

“There could be a clash of heads or a good left hook like Jamie threw in the fourth round and it turns the fight around.

“That’s what is so exciting about boxing.”

Quigg, now 24-0, said: “He caught me square on with a flash knockdown, I got up and kept my composure.

“If he feels disappointed about the result I’d gladly give him a rematch otherwise we’ll have to sit down and see what options there are.”

Before Saturday’s fight at Bolton’s Reebok Stadium Bury prospect Quigg was being lined up for a showdown with Belfast rising star Carl Frampton.

And Frampton’s manager Barry McGuigan believes referee Mark Green was right to prevent Arthur taking any more punishment on Saturday night.

“I sympathise with Mark Green,” said the former world champion. “Jamie had been taking a lot of hits and he turned away.

“He’s 32 years old, he’s been out of the ring for 12 months, and he was starting to get beat up. I think it was a fair stoppage.

“We shouldn’t be too hard on the referee. The bottom line is it’s his job to protect the fighters and make sure they don’t get hurt.”