CONFIDENT Iain Weaver bagged a bronze medal in Bulgaria and then vowed to show Olympic coach Rob McCracken he is the top lightweight in Great Britain.

Ferndown’s Weaver last night beat Welshman Joe Cordina 13-10 in the quarter-finals of the Strandja Cup in Sofia – ensuring he leaves with at least a bronze medal.

And although he admitted the pressure was off now he had guaranteed himself a podium place, bullish Weaver wants to show McCracken he can win a major tournament ahead of the final Olympic qualifier in Turkey in April.

Weaver, who is battling Londoner Martin Ward for the right to go to Istanbul, told the Echo from his Sofia base: “The pressure is off a little bit because I have a medal, but I want that gold more than anything so I’ll be doing everything the same as I have since I got out here.

“Bronze is a good medal in a tournament like this but gold is even better.”

The 22-year-old added: “After the first round, I thought I should have been a couple of points up but I was one point down.

“But I kept my composure and levelled it up in round two. Then, in round three, I took control and won by three.

“I just picked my shots and boxed to my abilities. I’ve been so confident coming into this tournament and my training has gone so well.

“I’m boxing the way I want to and not how people want me to and it is really working.”

Weaver will now meet Russian Maxim Dadashev in the last four tonight, before a potential showdown with Armenian European bronze medallist Vladimir Sarukhanyan.

Weaver added: “I have never fought the Russian before but he has been winning well out here and has beaten some good kids. I’m looking forward to a tough fight but, hopefully, I can come out on top again.

“I won’t worry about what he is doing – if I box how I have been, he will need to worry about me.

“I just want to win my semi-final, get in that final and show Rob McCracken that I am the top boy at 60k kilograms. I want to do it the right way against all the best boxers.

“In this kind of form, I can beat anyone.”