REVENGE is a dish best served cold but any plans Bentham boxer Tomi Tatham had to erase the memory of his first professional defeat are now firmly on ice.

Back in November the 24-year-old powerhouse lost on points to Sheffield-born hitman Lee Duncan at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens, immediately vowing to make his next opponent pay.

Straining at the leash to return, Tatham was due to fight again later this month although a broken right wrist will keep him out the ring for the foreseeable future.

Sustained before his last fight the hand injury will sideline Tatham for at least six months, something of a bitter pill for the light-heavyweight competitor to swallow.

“It has really got me down to be fair because I did it before my last fight,” he said.

“I fell while out running and remember hitting the bag and thinking how much it hurt but there was no way I was going to pull out.

“I thought it was only a sprain and I was being soft so carried on but struggled to land any punches in the fight itself as I was in agony.

“Take nothing away though, I lost that fight and there are no excuses – I still had my other hand.

“I eventually went to the doctors and found I’d fractured my capitate while the bone next to it is in bits because of the hammer it's taken.

“I’ve done so much damage by continuing to use it the quickest recovery time is six months which is absolutely devastating.

“I've been told if I'd misplaced bones in my last bout I might never have boxed again so I can only look at the positives in that respect.

“The sooner I have the operation the sooner I can recover.”

While acknowledging how frustrating the upcoming months will be, the man nicknamed ‘TNT’ is determined to emerge a more dangerous and complete fighter.

“I’m going to use these six months to work on my technique and my movement, practice all the things I can to improve,” he added.

“When I do get back in the ring after the setback of my loss and the setback of this wrist I’m not going to be ‘Mr Nice Guy’.

“I’m going to want to take someone’s head off and basically say to everyone I’m back and this is what I can do.

“I’m as jealous as hell watching the lads sparring and on the bags. I haven’t even had the operation so  I have months and months of it yet.

“This is going to be a tough and testing time but I know I will be a hungrier and better fighter after having this time to work on technique.

“I’ve just got to grit my teeth, get on with it and know my time will come.”

While Tatham is not completely out of action he is limited to what he can do physically, and considers boxers more than any other athletes to be adversely affected by inactivity.

“At the minute I’m literally just using my left arm which feels like it's about to drop off but that’s all I can do,” he said.

“When you play football for instance you get paid a weekly wage but in boxing you only get paid per fight. I had put expenses in place to fight this month but had to withdraw.

“I’m also self-employed so it’s not easy. I’m lucky I have good sponsors to help me through. Without them it would be a seriously depressing time.”