SHANEE Martin has vowed to fight on after her third unsuccessful attempt at winning a world title.

The Essex fighter was beaten on points by reigning champion Tsunami Tenkai in the World Boxing Association super fly-weight bout in Japan.

Martin, from Colchester, has strong ties with the south of the county having fought at Purfleet’s Circus Tavern and also in Dagenham earlier in her career.

The 28-year-old said she would call it a day in her quest to be world number one if she lost, but she told the Echo she believes she still has it in her to reach her ultimate goal — despite the pain of losing again.

“It was the toughest fight of my life but I don’t feel as bad as I thought I would afterwards,” she said. “I said before that I would call it a day if I lost but I know I was the better boxer.

“I was better than her technically and I think the journey took too much out of me in the end.

“It took 27 hours to get to Kobe and I stayed in three different hotels.

“I didn’t feel tired in the ring but I think it all took a lot out of me physically. It would have been different had I been in Japan for a few more days.”

Martin had to contend with a closed eye during the bout and said her vision went blurry.

She gallantly fought on, though, and is grateful that the referee did not the stop the fight.

“My eye was like a golf ball and completely closed up,” she explained.

“The doctor had a look at it and I was literally boxing with one eye.

“It was a brilliant fight and Tenkai just didn’t step back an inch. She is the toughest I have ever faced and the Japanese crowd gave me good support.”

Martin said attempts are now being made for her to have a title crack on English soil.

And she will quickly be back in the ring on April 24, having signed a contract to take part in a show at Bethnal Green’s York Hall on April 24 when she faces Russian Oksana Romonova, who stopped her on a cut two years ago.