Northampton boxer Eithan James survives scare to claim superb victory

Wainwright was a late replacement for James' original opponent Connor Parker, who had to withdraw from the pair's WBO European super lightweight title fight on the eve of the contest after falling ill.

But the 24-year-old from Sheffield was quick to make an impression in the non-title bout, catching James at the back end of the very first round, sending the Team Shoe-Box man briefly to the canvas for the first time in his career.

James quickly recovered his composure to get back at his opponent, who had gone into the fight with eight wins in his nine fights, and secured an excellent points victory, with referee Kevin Parker scoring the contest 96-94 in his favour.

It meant the Northamptonian claimed his 10th win out of 10 as a professional, and he also completed his first 10-round contest against a real livewire of an opponent.

"It was good. He clipped me in the first round, and I was more off balance with the shot, but he did hit me hard," said James. "But I dug in, won six or seven of the other rounds, and schooled him.

"In the later rounds he died off, but then in the last round he came back.

"I was probably a bit sluggish and didn't think he was going to come at me that fiery being a late replacement, but you shouldn't switch off, and that is my fault.

"But I still got the job done and that's credit to me."

Expanding on his thoughts about his reaction to being put down in the first-round, James told frankwarren.com: "There was nothing going through my head, I still felt fresh and I thought I won the rest of the round.

"I just switched off a little bit that's all, I got clipped with a good shot and obviously he is a good lad, he's not a mug.

"The last time I had an opponent pulled out I got a mug in, but now I have to step up levels."

Wainwright was certainly no mug, the southpaw having registered five knockouts in his short professional career, and James insisted the stern test he provided was exactly what he wanted.

"I have been wanting these fights for ages, this is why I want the step-ups," said the 22-year-old.

"I want to have these things, the nicks on the eyes, getting put down, but I got back up and I won the fight. If that was a 10-round title fight I still win the title."

And he added: "He digged and I felt his shots plenty. But he didn't really hurt me loads, because I was happy to stand and trade with him at the end there.

"I was probably safer in the pocket at times, because that is when he clipped me when I was outside.

"But for the majority of the fight I picked him off, made him miss easy, and just got hit with that one shot, but that is boxing."

James suffered cuts above both eyes due to clashes of heads after a bruising battle, and was quick to bat away suggestions from Wainwright that it was he, not James, who deserved the victory.

"It's not me scoring, and the judge warned me just as much as he warned him," said the Team Shoe-Box man.

"I have two cuts from him ducking heads, so he probably should have had a point took off and I would have won by more rounds.

"But he is a game fighter and he came for it, but I got the win."