COLIN KENNA wants to make up for lost time.

The Lordshill heavyweight is eyeing an immediate return to the ring after making a winning comeback on Sunday night following nine months out of action with an elbow injury.

The 28-year-old heavyweight will head to Dublin - the city of his birth - to face Sheffield's Paul King a week on Saturday, just 13 days after his stoppage of 'Big Red' O'Neil Murray at Southampton Guildhall.

Kenna made it 12 wins from 15 professional fights on Sunday when he wore down Murray and left the south-Londoner unwilling to answer the bell for the fourth round.

"It was good to get that one out of the way after eight or nine months out. He was awkward and was clinging on whenever I got close to him," said Kenna.

"He was just coming in and looking for a big right-hand.

"I got him with the jab and wobbled him a couple of times. I just tried to keep him on the back foot and I felt that I would have stopped him."

Kenna looked understandably ring rusty in the early stages and struggled to connect with clean punches as Murray tied the crowd favourite up.

He was also looking for an overhand right and did connect with a solid shot in the opening round.

But Kenna looked totally unconcerned and gradually began to find his range.

Murray began to look unsteady and was then forced to soak up several stiff left jabs and clubbing rights.

The onslaught continued in the third with Murray losing his balance on several occasions as Kenna desperately tried to find the space to land the punches to end the contest.

But Murray remained on his stool at the end of the round, citing an injured left-arm for his retirement.

Kenna's manager Jack Bishop said: "He was too strong, too fit and technically too good for him.

"He had no problem throwing his punches. Murray is very durable and took quite a lot of putting away."

Earlier in the Guildhall afternoon show, Kenna took the opportunity to assess King, his next opponent, who was a disputed points winner against Portsmouth heavyweight Billy Bessey.

Many in the Guildhall felt Bessey had done enough to take the fight against his 6ft 5ins opponent, but King tried to keep things at long range and clearly impressed the referee with slightly cleaner work for a 60-55 points victory.

Kenna, though, saw nothing to get himself too worried about the forthcoming Dublin showdown.

He said: "He is a big, tough lad, but I would hope to get in under him.

"He had his hands down quite a lot and I feel confident that I would beat him."

Bishop felt Bessey had done enough for victory.

"I thought he just edged it," he added.