Ashlee Eales plans to carry on showing why he is ‘the Real Deal’ in the middleweight ranks.
He’s back in action when BCB Promotions are back at the Hangar Events Venue, in Wolverhampton, on the Friday evening of July 22.
Eales shares the nickname that was made a boxing moniker by heavyweight great Evander Holyfield and displayed his own heavy-hitting last time out.
Searching for his maiden knockout, as a pro, the southpaw, from Nuneaton, put debutant Kirk Stevens to the sword, with a third round knockout, in his second ring date of 2022.
He returned from a two-year absence, because of the pandemic, in March with a four-round points whitewash over Illiyan Markov, with both contests taking place on BCB offerings.
His 2019 pro debut also saw him have his hand raised by a 40-36 landslide verdict, against Kevin McCauley, who had suffered a nasty cut by the left eye.
His second outing saw him take on Jordan Grannum, again without losing a round, although he did share one session. The final score was 40-37.
Eales has a unique background, as a former professional dancer, and transitioned to boxing from MMA, training under coach Lee Spare at the Boxing Clever Academy, in Bedworth.
The 28-year-old fancies his chances of another early finish, too, after being buoyed by the power displayed to finish the job in his last performance.
He said: “I think that I’m going to knock this guy out. I’ve stayed in the gym and, with the way I’m feeling from my training, I fancy my chances against any opponent in this league.
“After my last fight, I jumped straight back into camp and carried on with my sparring, so I’ve stayed sharp and I’ve been ready to get back in there for a while now.
“I’ve only been involved in combat sports for about eight years, but some people are just naturals for it and that’s probably down to me being a professional dancer before.
“That has helped me take to boxing, as well as I have, with the years of practice that I put in getting my footwork right, which you can definitely transfer over.
“I got the stoppage last time, which I would have done the time before, if it hadn’t been so scrappy. I was more in and out, when throwing big punches.
“I’m still a student of the game, so it’s still about learning, but I’m all for going out there and making a statement, which a KO can do for you.
“I knew what my opponent was going to do, in there, so I got the feints right and he just opened up for the shot. I slipped, chucked one upstairs and hit him bang on the button.
“I’ve been knocking people out for years, but you always show respect for your opponent and I’d have been gutted if anything bad happened. It just goes to show you what I can do.”
Tickets for the Hangar bill are available, priced at £40 standard or £75 VIP ringside with buffet, from the BCB Box Office by calling 07493 582 261 or visiting myfighttickets.com.
