Former Islington BC captain Aarron ‘The Marksman’ Morgan aims to be pushing for a title shot by the end of his first full year as a professional.

The 25-year-old light-middleweight made his debut as a paid fighter in November, when he stopped Vladimir Tazik in little more than a minute at the Camden Centre, Kings Cross.

Morgan is back in the ring later this month, when he boxes on manager Mickey Helliet’s Burns Night dinner show in Mayfair – and then again just over three weeks later at the Camden Centre.

And the former national novices champion is hoping to box regularly throughout the rest of the year, building a solid platform for a Southern Area title challenge soon afterwards.

“I’m hoping to have a busy year,” Morgan told the Gazette. “Ideally I’d like to box about six or seven times during 2014, stepping up the distance and the quality of opposition as I go along.

“Definitely by the end of the year I’d look to be knocking on the door for an area title and I want to do everything in my power to keep my side of the bargain.

“It was a bit of an anti-climax that my first fight was over so quickly after I’d been training for weeks, but this is a results-based business, so I can’t complain.

“I’m sure the next one will be tough, so I’ll keep training hard, dedicating myself properly and hopefully making sure I look good in the process.

“That’s something I try to keep in mind – spectators are paying to come and support you, so obviously you’ve got to try and put on a performance for them.”

Morgan, who was also a senior ABA semi-finalist during his successful amateur career, has worked hard to adapt since making his decision to join the professional ranks three months ago.

And he believes amateurs who follow the same path in the future will benefit from the regulation changes recently introduced by the sport’s governing body to bring the two codes into closer alignment.

“It’ll definitely make the transition easier for amateurs going forward,” Morgan predicted. “Previously the two codes have been like night and day.

“Now the changes like a 10-9 scoring system and other things like a lack of headguards [for elite senior boxers] should make it easier.”

Morgan’s immediate focus is the Burns Night black tie dinner show at the Millennium Hotel on Thursday January 30, which includes a drinks reception and three-course meal before the boxing gets under way at around 9.15pm.

He will be joined on the bill by Islington light-welterweight Charlie Rice, who captured the International Masters bronze title on his last outing with a comprehensive points win against Lubos Priehradnik.

Overall, Rice has won seven of his eight professional contests, with the only blot on his record coming in the Prizefighter tournament at York Hall last summer.

Call 07950 277 601 for tickets, or visit www.mayfairsportingclub.com for details of some of the packages available.