KENT boxer Takaloo believes the postponement of his proposed bout in Cardiff this coming Saturday has turned out to be a blessing in diguise.

The WBU world light-middleweight champion from Margate was due to appear on the same bill as WBO super middlewight champion Joe Calzaghe but both fights have now been pulled.

Calzaghe was ruled out of his by flu and Takaloo admits he, too, has been laid low by a virus recently.

"It's frustating that the fight is off because it's what I'd been training for, but it's also probably a blessing because I'd not been feeling too good,' said the 28-year-old. "I was ill in bed for a week with a chest infection and have been on antibiotics."

Takaloo says he has been promised his own bill in January and hopes the show will be in London either at the York Hall, Bethnal Green, or the Wembley Conference Arena.

His opponent is yet to be confirmed but one name being mentioned is European champion Roman Karmazin.

Takaloo says he does not mind who he faces and he reckons 2004 could be his biggest year to date. He stressed: "I'm 28 and at this stage of my career I need big fights.

"I'm the British No 1 and there's no-one in the same class as me here so I need to look elsewhere. I had a shot at the world title against Santos and fell just short but I learned more in that fight than all the others put together.

"I want to be up there fighting the best and I feel 2004 is my year. I want to get to the top. I want to be known as the guy who did what he wanted to do and fulfilled his dream."