Iain Martell admitted his return to the boxing ring felt like his debut all over again – but this time without the ice bucket and the broken hand.
The popular Norwich cruiserweight won his first two fights but each time ended up with broken bones in his hands – meaning a frustrating eight-month delay before he stepped over the ropes at The Halls on Saturday to face the tough Adam Williams, from Manchester.
But absence made the fists grow stronger and, with a second remaining of the first round, Martell delivered a sickening left to the body, which sent Williams through the ropes, on to the medical team's table and into a chair, conveniently placed next to the ringside doctor.
'It was a nice punch and I was glad to get the finish,' said Martell.
'Last year was a right-off and tonight did feel like a debut with all the tension and all the excitement. Having two hands and knowing full well that if I land regardless of whether it is head or body and which hand, I can do some serious damage and I enjoy that. I relish that challenge and it was a great night tonight.
'I won't gloat too much about it though. I am glad I got the job done, glad I got the finish but it is back to work tomorrow. I will be running out in the fresh air and getting ready for the next one.'
Williams has been in with some decent opponents – including Lawrence Okolie and Richard Riakporhe – and rarely suffers the sort of fate that befell him on Saturday – proof that Martell's and trainer Graham Everett's ambitions for the 28-year-old are more than realistic.
'I would like to be in contention for the Southern Area by the spring,' said Martell. 'Whoever has the title at that time, I will be looking for them.'
Everett said: 'Seven or eight fights in I would expect Iain to be boxing for the Southern Area title and I would expect him to be winning it, and I expect him to be winning the English title and I expect him to be fighting for the British title and to win that as well - and so on and so forth.
'He has despatched somebody who has never been stopped like that, and the nice thing is he did it with something we have been working on in the gym a lot – good, powerful body shots.
'He sent a message out tonight.'
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