Leahy starts career with a big show win

Nick Leahy has Jake Osgood covering up on the way to wide victory

NICK Leahy looks a solid addition to the paid game after gaining comfortable victory on Friday’s major, televised Telford International Centre fight marathon.

And the Leamington Spa welter is certainly well supported. His 100-strong army of fans noisily spurred on their boxer during his four rounder with Jake Osgood, a journeyman who knows every trick in the book.

Referee Peter McCormack scored the pleasing contest 40-37. I had it a shut-out to Leahy who hails from Evesham.

Victory drew the curtain on a frustrating time for Leahy who had been out of the ring for close to two years with a serious knee injury.

It didn’t show on Friday night. The 26-year-old displayed an old pro’s trick to touch with the jab before unleashing heavy stuff, worked the body well and fired sharp right hands.

“I felt a bit of rust,” he told me afterwards, “but it came together in the last. He was really clever, they way he anticipated what I was going to do. That was a real education, real old school.”

Trainer Derek Fitzpatrick, from Leamington’s Fitzpatrick’s gym, said: “I’m very happy. When you consider the occasion, the venue, the debut – he coped with it well.”

Osgood, from Carlisle, may have won only one of 40 contests, but he’s a very hard man to hurt. Only four opponents have prevented the 30-year-old from hearing the final bell.

He circled the ring throughout and held when danger threatened. Jake did cop a solid right in the last – a session when Leahy opened the throttle – and merely grinned and nodded his head in acknowledgement.

Osgood was also happy to go to the ropes.

Leahy set the tempo in the first by firing shots at his opponent’s long body. By the second, he was attempting to go through the gears, only to be smothered and frustrated by his fleet-footed foe.

Nick saved the best until the last, but it wasn’t enough to put a dent in Osgood.

An exciting career has begun.

Leahy added: “Eight months ago I was wondering if I’d ever recover (from the injury).”

He has fully recovered and burning to make his mark in boxing. And how many boxers can say their journey started on a TV show?