Morden’s Lenny Daws admits he snubbed the chance to earn a £32,000 payday by turning down the chance to appear in the next installment of the popular Prizefighter series.

Promoter Barry Hearn has set tongues wagging and ticket sales soaring with his innovative tournaments, which pit eight of the nation’s best fighters at a specific weight up against each other in a knockout competition.

But despite the light-welterweight event, scheduled for December, attracting the likes of former WBA champion Gavin Rees and Daws victim Barry Morrison, British champion Daws insisted he was not interested.

He said: “I did speak to my promoter Mick Hennessy about it but talks never really got that far.

“To be honest three-round fights are not really my style and I don’t think it would suit me.

“I like to get people tired and then work them hard in the later rounds, whereas the Prizefighter bouts are more frantic.

“There is no doubt the tournament is big, and it is a massive opportunity for the guys in there because of the coverage, but I have enough to worry about as it is.”

That would include his previously-divulged quest to win the Lonsdale Belt, with Daws expecting to get back in the ring early next year to make the first defence of the title he won in September.

And the light-welterweight insists there is no conflict of interest with either promoter Hennessy or trainer Robert McCracken, who also have WBC Super-Middleweight champion Carl Froch under their wing.

Daws added: “Obviously Carl has taken up a lot of their time recently but I know I can always pick up the phone and get Mick if I need to.

“I realise Froch has to come first so I am pretty much training on my own at the moment.

“But it is not a problem for me and I will keep working hard until my next opponent comes along.”