Telford's Mark Lloyd to walk out his nemesis

'Lloydy' is still the man that came closest to beating the 2006 Commonwealth Games gold medallist in the professional ranks,

Cox was 53 seconds away from defeat to before pulling it out of the bag, during their British welterweight title eliminator of April 2009.

Lloyd was controversially ahead on referee Shaun Messer's score-card going into the eighth and last round of a compelling and bloody war.

But Cox, with claret oozing from by his eye, ended all notions of that outcome by digging out a stoppage victory with less than a minute to spare, trapping Lloyd with a flurry of punches.

Now, nearly five years later, the 28-year-old returns to Wolverhampton Civic Hall to take on Alistair Warren, live on BoxNation.

And Lloyd, 40 this year and retired, will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with his former rival when he emerges for action, although he can't work the corner without a licence.

He said: "I was over the moon that he asked me, to tell you the truth, and I told him I would love to do it. I can't wait, it's going to be brilliant and I am really looking forward to it.

"I will be sitting with my wife at ringside after the bell rings and cheering him on, he knew I was coming to watch but then he rang the other day for a chat.

"We talked for about 20 minutes about his training was going and then he asked how I felt about walking him down to the ring. I was quite surprised, to be honest.

"I have got on well with Jamie ever since that fight and we have become good mates. It started the very next day, I rang to congratulate him and it went on from there.

"There's a lot of mutual respect there, I am still the one that nearly him and he hit me harder than anyone ever has. Everyone one still goes on about what a good fight it was.

"I know he's had his problems since then, but we have all done bad things in our life that we regret. He needs to get himself back up there quickly, but he could still be a British champion."

Cox's shot at the Lonsdale belt never materialised, while Lloyd had previously been overlooked as a challenger for then-champion Kell Brook.

Up went Cox to light middleweight and he won the Commonwealth title in 2011, in another disputed decision against champion Obodai Sai.

But no one has ever tested the 28-year-old's mettle in the six fights since like Lloyd did that night as he remains undefeated after 17 paid bouts.

Ever more unlikely was the notion that they would be friends, as Cox's previous antics at the Civic had made him unpopular with all and sundry.

Lloyd said: "Jamie is the strongest I have ever been in with. Every punch he landed, it was like standing at the side of the road when a car was coming and sticking your head out.

"I know he did a few things in there that people didn't like, such as putting his foot out like he was going to stamp on my head, but that's boxing. We laugh about it now.

"To tell you the truth - and I have told Jamie this - I don't think I was ahead on the cards going into the last round but, then again, I shouldn't have been stopped either.

"I was surviving and he hit me when I was dazed, but he pushed me over. It didn't count as a knockdown. I got back up and he threw a load more punches, but I wish the referee had let me carry on.

"If I had won the fight, there was a two-fight contract on the table for me with Frank Warren. The winner should have got a British title fight. As it turned out, neither of us did.

"I should have had my shot already, it was all sorted for me to challenge Kell Brook but Sky Sports didn't want it. They picked Stuart Elwell and he got stopped in two."

Lloyd went on to have another eight contests and unsuccessfully challenged for the European Union title, as well as returning to the Civic for a second Prizefighter appearance.

He couldn't emulate his semi-final appearance the first time around, going out at the first hurdle on points to stable-mate and former British champion Young Mutley.

An Italian job against Luciano Abis for those EU honours had come a year earlier in Sardegna and, by rights, he was robbed by a technical decision at the end of the sixth round.

Abis had sustained a cut over the eye from which he couldn't continue so the bout went to the cards, who ruled in favour of the home-town fighter 59-56.

Lloyd had been deducted a point for alleged use of his head in each of the two rounds before the stoppage and disputed almost all of the scoring.

He said: "Mutley was one of my hardest fights, mentally, as I had trained alongside him for seven years. Obviously, we were really good friends.

"We couldn't believe it, we were warming up together talking about how it wouldn't be too bad if we met in the final, then we were the first two people out of the hat!

"It all went downhill after Italy, after a result like that I couldn't be bothered with boxing. That and what happened in the Jamie Cox fight are the two that really eat away at me.

"I wasn't going to be intimidated and, after the first round, I knew I would beat him all night long. He could hardly stand by the end of it, but they gave it to him on the scorecards."

Lloyd still keeps himself in shape at Telford Boxing Club near to his home, as well hitting the gym regularly, so never really hung up his gloves.

But the married father-of-three faces an obstacle even bigger than getting the bulk off if he were to lace them up again - his other half Charlotte!

He said: "I am probably too old now but I keep saying to my wife that I want one more year, but she keeps telling me that I am not doing it!

"I still train and spar in Telford, so I am in good condition. I know a lot of the lads there and it's great to keep myself involved in the game.

"I do a lot of weights, though, so I have bulked up and that would make it harder to get down in weight should I come back to the ring.

"I won't say that I will never fight again but, if it doesn't happen, I know I had a good career."

Cox's return forms part of a whopping 10-bout supporting cast, starting at 6.30pm, to a main event that will produce a contender to the WBO world lightweight title.

The organisation's European champion, Stephen Ormond, puts up his belt against bitter rival and British boss Terry Flanagan in their eliminator.

For more information and tickets to the Civic show, call the Civic box office on 0870 320 7000 or promoter Paul 'PJ' Rowson on 07976 283 157.