BOXING: Northampton's Eithan James targeting title tilt before the end of 2021

The 20-year-old made it five wins out of five since stepping up from the amateur ranks with a classy points win over Clayton Bricknell at the Copper Box Arena on Saturday night.

It was another strong performance in front of the BT Sports cameras for the Northampton super-lightweight, and he is hoping the bout will be the first in what he wants to be a busy and productive year.

“I am hoping to get out and fight as much as possible, and I am hoping by the end of the year to get on a 10-rounder and get my first title,” said James.

“Going up from six to 10 rounds will be a big step up, but that is where I want to be by the end of year.

“That is my aim and my coaches believe in it as well, so I can’t see why it can’t happen.”

The win over Bricknell saw former Commonwealth and multi national amateur champion James complete his first six-round fight, but he feels he is getting stronger all the time.

“I definitely feel like I am maturing more now, and I am definitely getting stronger,” said the former Kings Heath boxer.

“In the past couple of months I have been working hard in the gym, working on that strength.”

James is the latest town boxer to start making waves in professional boxing, and he is excited by what could lay ahead for him and some of his fellow town fighters, including Team Shoe Box stable-mate Kieron Conway, who is already a WBA inter-continental champion at super-middleweight.

“We have got some good boxers in the town,” said James, who took a starring TV role just two weeks after Far Cotton boxer Carl Fail won on his professional debut.

“(At Team Shoe-Box) We have got Ben Vaughan coming through, we have another lad called Dempsey Madden who will be coming through soon as well, and there is obviously Kieron leading the way with Matchroom.

“The professional scene wasn’t really a big thing a couple of years ago, but now all of a sudden Northampton is coming up out of the woodwork and we have top lads going everywhere.

“I look forward to seeing what is going to happen in the next couple of years.”