Ashlee back out, but big fight is cancelled

Ashlee Eales…Commonwealth blow, but big news will soon break

ASHLEE Eales’ Commonwealth title eliminator – scheduled for the O2, Greenwich, on March 22 – is off.

News surfaced today that opponent for the light-middleweight 10-rounder, Billy Jackson, had pulled out. The reasons for the Bromley boxer’s withdrawal are, as yet, unclear.

I understand Ashley was offered unbeaten Welshman Carvell Crocker as a replacement, but manager Jon Pegg declined.

He said: “That’s a tougher fight that deserves TV and bigger money.”

Instead, Nuneaton’s former Midlands champ will shed ring rust following eight months out with a four or six rounder at Coventry Sports Connexion Leisure Club on February 22. No opponent has yet been named, but I don’t expect the test to be too demanding.

“It’s about getting him back out there,” Pegg said. “It’s not about getting confidence back because Ashlee’s never short on that.”

The 30-year-old – flash and brash – is certainly not the shy and retiring type.

“I don’t know why he (Jackson) pulled out,” Eales said. “I’ve heard he’s thinking of retiring from boxing, he’s only 25. I personally think he saw a video of me that I posted and didn’t fancy two losses on the bounce. I don’t blame him.”

After peeling off seven straight wins, Jackson lost for the first time last September.

Eales is also coming off a loss. Last June tough Panamanian Omir Rodriguez gained a narrow six rounds win over the former dancer.

The setback was a surprise. Eales, a switch-hitter with more moves than a chess grandmaster, had won 10 on the spin and, in the bout before, had beaten heavily favoured Stanley Stannard for the Midlands belt.

There are, however, mitigating factors for the loss. After dropping Rodriguez in the first, Eales suffered a broken right hand in the second.

This week Eales insisted potentially significant news is about to break.

“There’s a big one in the pipeline,” he said. “I can’t announce anything yet, but get February 22 out of the way and it’s straight back in the gym and into title contention.”

The grand plans could be wrecked if the unthinkable happens and Ashlee loses in Coventry. But he insisted: “There’s always a danger of getting cut or picking up an injury. But I now know I have to stay ‘up’ for fights like this. You saw what happened last time when I got complacent.

“I don’t care if the fight is in my back garden or for a major title, I now know I have to train the same.”