Junior Witter has promised to dish out a “taste of reality” for former world amateur champion Frankie Gavin when they clash next month.

The Bradford boxing ace – Britain’s oldest welterweight belt holder – will make his first defence against the unbeaten Gavin, who is 12 years younger at 26.

Gavin, from Birmingham, made history in 2007 when he became the first Englishman to win a world amateur title. But he missed out on a medal shot at the Olympics in Beijing after failing to make the weight.

He turned professional the following year and has won all 13 paid-for fights but the jury is out as to whether he will fulfil that early potential.

Gavin sees the Lonsdale belt as a route to a crack at European champion Leonard Bundu – but Witter has vowed his road will end here.

Witter said: “Gavin is fast and fairly aggressive but he’s not really a puncher. He thinks he’s better than he is, which suits me.

“He’s no mug, and I’m not disrespecting him, but I’m not worried. He wants it and will be up for it and that’s just perfect.

“He is going to get a taste of reality when he gets in that ring with me.”

The deadline for purse bids closes next week and Witter is pressing promoter Mick Hennessy to keep him busy.

Witter is itching to extend the Indian summer of a career that has seen domestic, European and world success. Beating Colin Lynes in May made him a two-weight British champion – something he would love to repeat at European level.

He said: “That certainly appeals and I don’t see why not. I just want to get this (defence) out of the way and then look to get back in the ring before the end of the year.

“It’s been a slow few months since the Lynes fight but we knew it was going to be like that because of the Olympics. But now we’re ready to go again and it’s onwards and upwards.”

There are no hints of retirement from Witter and his fitness levels are not on the wane if recent bleep tests at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield are anything to go by.

Alan Ruddock, from Sheffield Hallam University, carried them out and was impressed with how well he performed.

Ruddock said: “We took several fighters from the Ingle gym and Kid Galahad and Kell Brook did exceptionally well as we expected.

“But Junior, who is at least 12 years their senior, came in close behind and much better than we anticipated.”