Paul Newby is currently the world karate champion but he has shunned the profession after being treated shabbily and will appear in the first boxing bout at the National Exhibition Centre for 12 years tomorrow evening.

Newby will lock horns with Walsall's durable Steve Gethin, who was a casualty of the Amir Khan roadshow, as part of the Pain and Glory fight bill.

Gethin will be Newby's toughest opponent thus far in a fledgling boxing career, but confidence is an attribute Newby possesses in spades.

Thai Boxing, K-1, kickboxing and MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) are all on the agenda for a crowd of over 2,000, with Newby and Gethin the aperitif for the main course.

However, Newby isn't used to being bottom of the bill as he has won acclaim and regularly performed in font of audiences in excess of 20,000 on his unstoppable march to world domination.

Newby was crowned world karate champion in Mexico two years ago, but the rug was pulled unceremoniously from under him and that left him with a bitter taste.

"I had won the world title and was looking forward to adding the European belt to my collection," he said.

"However, with only one month's notice they cut all Lottery funding to karate and left me with no income," he added with a certain degree of rancour. "I was absolutely gutted and to carry on representing England at that level, I would have had to go to work full-time.

"I couldn't have done that and competed for England, so I was forced to turn my back on karate. I was only 27, so I had plenty of years fighting left in me and I needed to earn money.

"I tried K-1, but the money isn't good, so I decided to turn my hand to boxing and have won my first two fights."

Victories against Peter Buckley and Ian Reid have already raised his profile amongst the boxing fraternity and the current world champion in karate is definitely a marketable commodity.

And for a genuine novice, he has debunked the myth that experience is a necessity within the ring.

"I haven't lost a round yet and I definitely want harder fights as I need to be tested," added Newby.

"When I beat Buckley, he told me that he couldn't believe I had no experience as I peppered him all fight and I think he only hit me once.

"People warned me that it would be hard to make the transition, but I am a winner with a competitive edge and my co-ordination compensates my lack of experience.

"I am ambitious and I'd like to think that I could fight for at least a British title in the future and this fight against Gethin will help my case. He's been in with Khan and is a tough competitor."

* Pain and Glory takes place at the National Exhibition Centre tomorrow. For ticket details call Paul Hennessy on 0121 602 5712