Leytonstone boxer Philip 'Quicksilver' Bowes says latest opponent Francis Maina is just a "stumbling block" on his way to glory.

Bowes, 29, will go toe-to-toe with the 31-year-old on Saturday, May 17 at York Hall with the vacant International Masters light-welterweight title up for grabs.

The southpaw, who has won his first eight bouts - two by knockout - is in a buoyant mood ahead of the fight in Bethnal Green.

"To be honest, I never took an opponent lightly. He's just a potential stumbling block on the way to the title. It's not about what he's done before, it's about what I'm going to do to him now," stated Bowes.

"I'm feeling fine and I'm always really relaxed before a fight, even though it's the biggest fight of my career so far. I've got some good sparring done I'm feeling good."

The 5ft11in Londoner, who is based at the Pro SW gym in Debden, Loughton, won his last fight by knocking out opponenet Dean Mills in late March.

Maina on the other hand, has recovered from a run of three consecutive losses by beating his last two opponents.

Bowes is philosophical, though: "I get my team to do their homework, they work on him, I focus on what I'm going to do.

"When you get into a room with another fighter, you're just fighting another person," he mused.

As an amateur, Bowes reached the quarter-finals of the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi before turning pro' at the age of 27.

Bowes has also fought in the Jamaican National Championships and was the number one light welterweight for Jamaica before joining the professional ranks.

The current British number 11 in his weight division, Bowes caught the boxing bug at a young age, but did not properly pursue the sport until his teens.

Martial arts such as karate and taekwondo filled the void until Bowes took up boxing properly at 15, training out of a number of gyms before joining Repton Amateur Boxing Club in Bethnal Green, where Bowes says his amateur career "flourished".

"I got into boxing properly when I was about 20 years old. Before that I passionately got into boxing through Mike Tyson and watching on TV with my Dad; I liked Mike's persistence and the way he intimidated his opponents," explained Bowes.

"My mum wasn't into boxing and persuaded me not to fight; she was worried about brain damage," he added.

Bowes is looking for sponsorship opportunities. He can be contacted on 07932064548 or quicksilver1985@hotmail.co.uk