Addiscombe boxer Chas Symonds cuts a frustrated figure this week after a “little nick” above his eye caused him to lose his Southern Area Welterweight title to arch-rival Bradley Skeete.

The south London duo went head-to-head at the ExCel Centre on Saturday, but the bout was stopped by the referee in the fourth round when Symonds was put on the canvas.

Thirty-year-old Symonds, who trains out of Rosehill Amateur Boxing Club in Sutton, has not ruled out a rematch and says that had the fight gone on the outcome would have been different.

He said: “I was not beaten by a punch, I was beaten by a cut above my eye. I don’t actually feel like I’ve been in a fight.

“It is really frustrating. At the end of the third round the doctor examined the cut and told me he would take me out the fight so I knew I had one more round to go for it.

“I came out guns blazing and got caught off balance. He cannot punch but I got caught in a flurry of punches and went down.

“The referee stopped it because I had blood in my eye, and that was that.”

He added: “It was frustrating because although he came out fast, we knew he would not be able to keep up that pace.

“The plan was to take the fight beyond round six where I’d then start getting into him, but I never got the chance.”

Symonds is now eyeing a return to the ring on the prize fight card in Wolverhampton on January 19.

In the meantime, Symonds said: “I want to thank all the support I’ve had from friends and family, and all the Palace fans who have got behind me too.”