COLIN KENNA suffered a set-back when he was held to a draw against Sheffield's Paul King on Saturday night.

It was the third time he has failed to win in his last seven contests and leaves the hugely popular Lordshill heavyweight at something of a crossroads in his boxing career.

At only 28, he clearly still has time on his side.

But this latest performance raises questionmarks over whether he has the attributes to realise an ambition of competing with the very biggest and best domestic fighters.

Kenna, who has won 12 of 16 professional contests, currently stands on the fringes of the British top-ten rankings having consistently beaten most of the so-called 'journeyman' heavyweights in Britain - those boxers who have losing professional records.

However, he has struggled to look so convincing on the occasions when he has stepped up in class.

Kenna was beaten in one round by former British champion Michael Sprott and suffered his only other defeat to English champion Mark Krence when he was very unfortunate to be forced out of the fight with an elbow injury last May.

Prior to that, his hardest test was against Preston's Paul Buttery, when he put in a heroic late performance to salvage a draw.

King came into the ring having won five and lost five in his professional career.

Kenna was boxing for the first time in Dublin, the city of his birth, and immediately took the fight to his taller opponent.

Some of the action was somewhat scrappy but, roared on by his supporters, Kenna held the upper hand and looked to be just shading the fight.

But he began to tire and King landed a huge uppercut in the fifth round.

Kenna was clearly dazed, but stayed on his feet and bravely held on until the end of the sixth-round fight to take a share of the decision.

His bravery, as ever, was not in question although manager and trainer Jack Bishop admitted his man had been shaken.

He said: "He was in dreamland when that punch landed and later told me that for a moment he thought he was back in the hotel! But he showed great heart to hang in and I actually thought he still won the fight.

"He was possibly a bit too eager to try to knock the man out, but I felt he won the opening four rounds which means he still won the fight. I spoke to a few people and there were mixed views so we are not arguing about the decision."

It was Kenna's second fight in the space of just two weeks following his three-round stoppage of O'Neil Murray at Southampton Guildhall earlier in the month.

Bishop said he would meet with his fighter in the next few days to discuss the next move.