Amateur boxer Kyran O’Neill won an under 56kg English title eliminator on Friday in Luton.
O’Neill defeated Harris Najeeb of London’s Fight for Peace club in his first fight on home soil in 2016.
He said: “I didn’t think my performance was all that good, it was high work rate and I roughed him up a bit, not that technical, but it was required to win.”
The WGC fighter’s opening outing of the year was at January’s King of the Ring event in Boras, Sweden against experienced Ugandan Ronald Serugo.
“That was my first fight for seven months after being out with a nose operation,” he said.
“Everyone else pulled out in my weight except an ex-world number four who fought in the 2008 Olympics and is a seasoned international.
“It was a good fight, but he won on points, but we weren’t that far apart.
“After such a long lay-off without any sparring, which wasn’t the best preparation, and to keep it close was good.”
It has been a promising start to 2016 for O’Neill who has also attended three England ABA senior training camps in Sheffield.
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