Tony Owen is preparing to climb back into the boxing ring after spending more than a year outside the ropes.

The Carlshalton-born super lightweight will feature at the Camden Centre on April 18 for the first time since his Southern Area title defeat to good friend Ricky Boylan in December 2013.

Boylan won with a TKO in the fourth of 10 rounds, and has since gone on to have two shots at an English title.

Owen, on the other hand, almost hung up his gloves for good.

He said: “At first I was never going to come back. I wanted to stop there and settle down.

“But I had a change of heart when I felt I could still achieve something from it.

“I want to push on and build on from where I left off.”

He added: “To be honest, I didn’t really want to go out on that loss.”

Owen won 15 out of 18 bouts during his first spell in the sport, including his first 12 on the professional circuit.

He has a new manager and trainer in Adam Martin, who have been working with him since his decision to return to professional boxing.

Surrey Comet:

Battering ram: Owen had a 15-3-0 record before taking a year out from the boxing ring

But the 27-year-old is not just looking to get back to where he left off and maintain that level, he wants to go further this time.

“I was talking to family members a little while ago and they were saying how great it would be for me to get back to the same level,” he said.

“But you know what? I want to go even further this time.

“I am not the sort of person to go back to where I was. I think I can go further. If possible, I want to rebuild again and push higher.”

He added: “I was annoyed with myself at the time [of the loss] and feel I still have something to offer to the sport.

“I want to go out on a high when I finish with boxing.”

And Owen says he cannot wait to get back into the boxing ring in two months’ time.

He added: “I am really excited about coming back. My hunger is fully back and I’m looking forward to working with my new team.

“I just want to get back again and see just how far I can get.”

Owen’s opponent is yet to be announced, so to keep up to date follow @ylgsport.