BOXER Phil Gill continued his ascent up the ranks towards a British title shot by maintaining his perfect professional record with his third win against a man renowned for having one of the strongest jaws in the business.

Twenty-seven-year-old Gill, born and bred in Upshire, is determined to punch his way to the top after turning professional in March.

And he sent out a clear message to the rest of the light-welterweight division by stopping Karl Taylor on his stool after meting out four brutal rounds of punishment at Watford Colosseum.

Taylor, one of the most experienced fighters in the game with 150 fights under his belt, including a bout against former world champion Ricky Hatton, was given a rare boxing lesson by the local man.

Gill breached Taylor’s defences with alarming regularity and, bloodied and battered after four of the six scheduled rounds, the Birmingham man eventually threw in the towel while sat in his corner.

Gill has promised to keep his foot firmly on the accelerator as he eyes an English title by the end of next year, with a shot at a British or Commonwealth belt to follow.

“I’ve definitely got enough to give the big boys a run for their money,” said Gill, who trains out of Cheshunt ABC. “Time is on my side. I’ve got a good engine and good stamina, they won’t be able to keep with me. I’m a bit like Ricky Hatton in the sense that I keep coming forward all the time.”

Sacrifices have already been made to help him achieve his goal.

A typical day will consist of a training session at 6am, followed by a shift at his full-time job as a mobile engineer, before another stint in the gym, eventually walking back through the door at 11pm.

Still, at least he gets the weekends to relax, right? “Saturday is my only day off, then I’m back on it again on Sunday,” Gill says. “I can’t afford to give up work until I find a sponsor or make a name for myself. It’s very stressful but hopefully I won’t have to work this hard in the future.

“If you want to be the best then it’s not going to be easy. It makes it all the better when you win, having worked so hard for it.”

Gill’s impressive start to his professional career has earned him a place on the bill at The Troxy in London’s Docklands on November 5.