McCracken looks a talent in shutout win

Oscar works the body on way to victory. Pictures: Gerard Murphy

BOXING brief Oscar “De La Lawyer” McCracken continued his ring education with shut-out victory at Birmingham Airport’s Holiday Inn last night.

The pro game’s only solicitor cruised to his second straight win, taking all four rounds against Paul Scaife. Referee Ryan Churchill scored 40-36 in McCracken’s favour.

Sheffield’s Scaife knows all about putting apprentices through their paces. That was his 48th fight. He’s won only one, but failed to hear the final bell on just five occasions.

Scaife, one of the sport’s true survivors, is near impossible to budge.

McCracken, from a  famous Birmingham boxing family, looks a very useful addition to the welterweight ranks.

With former world title challenger Matt Macklin looking on, the 25-year-old clearly hurt Scaife with left hooks to the body and there were times in the first when it appeared the journeyman would be overwhelmed. McCracken showed maturity to land looping rights to the head when his opponents guard dropped and change tactics when it became evident Scaife was going nowhere.

That's my boy...Spencer McCracken Snr with Oscar

Jon Pegg, show promoter and a close friend of the family, was full of praise for the fledgling fighter.

“He was calm, you could see the improvements from the first fight,” he said. “And he showed that little bit of spite, there was that bit of nastiness.

“He’s a smart boxer, you could see the intelligence. Smartness can overcome a lot of experience.”

Jon added: “My relationship with Oscar goes beyond a promoter. I’ve known him since he was a child and actually put the show on for him. Because of his commitments as a solicitor, I knew he wouldn’t be able to box in September.”

Oscar is a young man with precious little down time – and his schedule is about to become even more hectic: He begins a new job next week and his partner is due to give birth in November.

“It’s difficult,” he admitted, “but if you want to achieve something, you have to put the work in.”

Of his performance, Oscar said: “I’m happy, I nearly got him out of there in the first, but he’s a proper road warrior. Punching his head was like punching a brick wall. Honestly, I’ve never hit someone so hard.

“I put it on him in the first and second, then thought ‘this kid isn’t going to go anywhere’. This time I wanted to show I had a few more gears and I did that.”