Boxing: Ojay back from the brink

6:39pm Tuesday 28th November 2000

OJAY ABRAHAMS' roller-coaster professional boxing career, which sometimes has looked close to derailment, soared to an unexpected high at the weekend.

The veteran light-middleweight put himself back in Southern Area title contention with a devastating second round knockout of previously unbeaten Donavan Smillie, of Bradford in Manchester on Saturday night.

Smillie, who had won his first four fights, was thwarted by Abrahams' jab in the first, before having his senses scrambled by a concussive left hook from the Garston single parent, who is renowned for his explosive power and ranked 24th by the Boxing News' British middleweight table of merit last week.

The victory, following another win in the summer, moved Abrahams a step closer to fulfilling his lifetime ambition of winning a professional title. The 37-year-old awaits a decision by the British Boxing Board of Control next week to see if he is made number one contender for the area title.

"That was the second best knockout of my career and it has left me buzzing," said Abrahams, who was back in training this week with the possibility he may get another fight before Christmas.

Matty Leonard, the South Oxhey super-featherweight who has a record of 1-1-1 after a year as a professional, has resumed training after recovering from a broken leg. He, too, hopes to have a fight before Christmas.

Meanwhile, Ian Eldridge, who has made a promising start to his professional career by winning four of his first five bouts, will not fight again this year because of a groin injury. Trainer Paul Rees expects the Croxley light-welterweight back in training for a fight early next year, after Eldridge was ranked 20th in Britain by the Boxing News last week.

Marco Fattore, the lightweight from north Watford, was ranked 29th and Leonard 37th in their respective weights by Boxing News.