RUBEN GROENEWALD'S hopes of rebuilding his boxing career in Britain suffered a blow when he was stopped in four rounds in his latest fight.

Groene went out swinging against South African cruiserweight champion Thabiso Mchunu in a bid to repeat his brutal first-round knockout of Ronnie Lategan last September.

But the gamble didn't pay off against his highly-rated young southpaw rival who took charge of the fight before five unanswered blows saw the referee call a halt.

Groenewald, who left the UK in 2008 after his visa expired, hoped victory over Mchunu would lead to a Commonwealth title shot and secure a return to Thanet.