Leytonstone’s Philip Bowes insists a first professional defeat in his last bout was good for him but is adamant he will not make the same mistakes against Johnny Coyle on Saturday.

The 30-year-old returns to action after a frustrating seven-month spell out of the ring when he takes on former Prizefighter champion Coyle (9-0-1) at York Hall with the vacant Southern Area Super-Middleweight belt on the line.

For Bowes it has been a period of prolonged inactivity out of his control. After suffering a tenth-round knockout against Joe Hughes at the beginning of October in his first crack at the Southern Area strap, injury and protracted negotiations have hampered him.

But now fit once more and ready to put defeat against Hughes behind him, Bowes is in reflective mood.

“Me losing was not…I would not say it was the best thing for me, but it was almost the best thing to happen to me,” Bowes said.

“It made me more humble and determined to rectify the loss. I wanted to move forward and even though it will be against a different opponent in the end, it has helped make me more focused.”

There is no doubt defeat taught Bowes more lessons than victory might have done.

And detailing what went wrong on the night, he said: “He (Hughes) was the better man on the night; my preparation with regards to getting to the venue on time was not right and I did not warm up properly either.

“I would never have thought I needed to warm up before that night but speaking to previous and present champions has made me realise and appreciate the importance of warming up properly.”

Saturday’s bout will be 22-year-old Coyle’s first ten-round fight, with his eighth-round points win over Liam Richards the furthest he has been forced to go.

But east Londoner Bowes, who has himself twice been taken the distance, knows there is a sizeable leap from going for three rounds in Prizefighter and ten in the pro ranks.

“It probably does feel different,” he admitted. “But for me, last time I did not feel it and I was more worried about losing. I hope I do not experience that feeling of losing again on Saturday night.

“Prizefighter is a format to suit those coming out of amateur boxing. He got through three three-minute rounds but this is completely different. This will have him thinking and fighting for ten rounds. It is a step up.

“I fought Francis Maina for ten rounds and lost to Joe Hughes in the tenth round. I have been past eight rounds a few times and I have been sparring with Billy-Joe Saunders. He has been there, done that and worked with me for ten rounds so that can only help.”

Bowes has previously stated he sees the Southern Area belt as a stepping stone to bigger and better things but respects the opportunity to kick-start his journey nonetheless.

“This determines how good you really are,” he said. “You have got to fight the best to get this far, this really shows what you have got.”