KIERAN Gething was “absolutely gutted” when his Welsh welterweight title fight with Tony Dixon had to be put on hold, but now he reckons the initial disappointment was a blessing in disguise.

An injury picked up while training ruled Mountain Ash’s Dixon out of the showdown against Gething, which would have taken place tonight at Ice Arena Wales in Cardiff.

Instead, Pontypool ace Gething will face Newbridge veteran Bradley Pryce over six rounds on the Sanigar Events bill in the capital.

Pryce, with 62 contests in the pro ranks under his belt, has made it clear that defeat to his Gwent rival and he will definitely hang up his gloves for good.

The 37-year-old former Commonwealth king has threatened to quit on several occasions in recent years before deciding to keep going.

For Gething, the clash gives him the chance to impress on a big stage and send out a message to Dixon ahead of a potential rescheduled meeting later this year.

“I was absolutely gutted when I found out the Dixon fight wasn’t going to happen,” said the 24-year-old.

“But, looking back, maybe this was the best option for me, rather than having a title fight straight away and perhaps being overwhelmed by all of it.

“This fight will be good for me to build my experience and I think my next fight will definitely be for some sort of title.”

Given Pryce’s long stint in the paid code and the high-profile fight nights he has been involved in, it hasn’t been hard for Gething to gen up on his latest opponent.

“It’s a bit of a shot in the dark for him,” added Gething.

“He’s probably seen my record and maybe fancies his chances, or it’s just another payday for him.

“I remember him fighting when I was a kid and I’ve done a lot of research into his style.

“It isn’t difficult to find videos of his fights because he’s a three-division champion with plenty of experience, so I’ve got to be wary of him.

“The last thing you lose as a boxer is your power so I’ve got to respect him to the last second.”

Also in action tonight are St Joseph’s lightweight Gavin Gwynne and super-welter Fred Evans, who face Dean Evans and William Warburton respectively.