New champ Ashlee lives up to his boasts

And the new…Ashlee Eales is now Midlands light-middle champ

ASHLEE Eales lived-up to his pre-fight boasts – some called it arrogance - and took the vacant Midlands light-middleweight title by outpointing favoured Stanley Stannard.

At Leicester Arena on Saturday, the “Real Deal” showed he may well be the real deal by securing a 96-95 decision.

The Nuneaton 29-year-old, now unbeaten in 10, saved his best performance for the stiffest test of his career. Fellow southpaw Stannard had lost only one of 10 going into the bout, while Eales had never gone beyond six rounds.

When Ashlee, a former dancer, had to engage in trench warfare, he rolled up his sleeves and bit on his gumshield. And he excelled at long range, his jab flicking out with the speed of a cobra’s tongue.

Eales had played the role of motor-mouth throughout the 10 rounder’s build-up, peeling off outlandish prediction after outlandish prediction.

If he was playing mind-games, the tactic certainly worked. But the remarks meant Eales was in danger of being left with egg on his face if he failed.

“If he’d won, even if I thought he hadn’t deserved it, I would’ve shaken his hands. I was ready for all outcomes,” Eales said.

“I was prepared to take all the stick I would’ve got for the cockiness and boasts. Listen, I’m prepared to fall farther than most, I’m prepared to climb higher than most.”

It was a close affair, with Eales starting fast before copping a heavy right in the first. He controlled the middle rounds behind that slick left lead, only to lose ground in the ninth and 10th as Stannard bulled his way back.

“No one thought I would win over 10 rounds,” Eales said. “He was a bit awkward, but southpaw against southpaw is always going to be like that.

“Apart from a shot in the second, he didn’t really trouble me. I did everything I had to do to win the fight. The pace was perfect for me, I was able to make it my fight.

“The fact I can knock people’s heads off is a bonus. If I have to jab people’s heads off, I’m happy to do that.

“I believe the mind-games were a big factor – he manifested his own downfall. All I was engaged in for the 13 weeks camp was the win, I don’t know what he went through for the 13 weeks.”

Eales has emerged from the shadows and can dream about bigger fights and bigger paydays.

“This was the first hurdle,” he said, “a chance to prove to myself I can pursue what I’m doing as the real dream. I believe I can take it all the way. It would be good to be on TV shows and fight for different titles. I believe I’m a world-beater, it’s just that I’m raw and still learning. I believe we are taking gold all the way.”

Eales has shown, on many occasions, he can talk the talk. On Saturday, he showed he can walk the walk.