If actions speak louder than words, then Sam Sexton launched an encyclopedia at his next opponent in the blink of an eye.

The Norwich boxer is used to the verbal sparring – he's been in the game long enough – and there will be plenty coming his way ahead of his promised British title fight against the winner of Dillian Whyte versus Dave Allen.

But they should be wary. Hari Miles was the last person to goad Sexton, saying he hadn't got a knockout punch. Precisely 199 seconds into their bout at The Halls in Norwich on Friday, Sexton made the Welshman eat his words – and a lump of leather as well, with a magnificent straight blow to the chin.

Miles fell like a big old Redwood, his head crashing against the canvas. He got up at 10 but the referee waved it off; Miles wasn't happy, but the ref was right – and Sexton was clearly eager for more.

One punch. One message.

'For someone to say I am a past-it fighter and couldn't bang anyone out, well there you go – you just got banged out,' said Sexton, who turns 32 today.

'I am feeling fitter and stronger than I ever have done – even in the days when I was fighting Martin Rogan and Dereck Chisora.

'Miles was a tricky fighter to start with – I haven't fought a tall southpaw for a long, long time and in the first round I was trying to suss out his moves. I fell short a couple of times but I was just waiting and waiting and I thought in the second round my homework was done so it was 'bang, walk on to that'.

The outcome brought a smile to the face of trainer Graham Everett.

'I was happy with that,' he said. 'It was a peach – it's something we have been working on in the gym – right hand, left hook behind it – and we didn't need the left hook.

'Hit him hard, hit him flush, hit him clean.

'Sam was big, strong, powerful and determined. He is in his prime so let's get that big fight on.

'He had a tough job against Miles because it was a tricky fight and personally I think he had to make a statement – which he did, big time.'

Sexton's win was top of a bill that included a Norwich homecoming for Nathan Dale, who won the world youth title at the same venue 17 months ago but then underwent hand surgery and had fought just once since, in Braintree in May.

Dale was a 60-55 points winner over Stanislas Nenkov, although how he took a drawn round back to Bulgaria is anyone's guess.

Dale's early ferocity did him few favours: Nenkov covered up and basically saw out the six rounds without causing too many problems.

'With Nathan we need a fight,' said Everett. 'We need somebody who will come and try and beat him, but his nickname is the Slickster, and I thought he was very slick.'

Dale has to be patient: something he has learned plenty about in the last 18 months.

'I haven't got a choice,' he laughed. 'I had a year out and wanted to jump in quicker, but I didn't so I know what to do.'

Zaiphan Morris had a good 60:54 win over the awkward Southampton's Billy Parker – the Norwich man's first six three-minute rounder, while Lowestoft's Craig Poxton worked well for his 58:57 win over Jamie Quinn, of Stockport, in a cracking opener to the evening.