Northampton fighter Lane makes history as he claims British title success

As a teenager, Ashley Lane – then Knowles – told the Chronicle & Echo he would one day bring the Lonsdale belt to his home town.

A little matter of 18 years later, Lane remembered the interview after being crowned British and Commonwealth bantamweight champion in the 30th fight of his up-and-down 13-year professional career.

Lane won the vacant belts with a stirring, come-from-behind sixth-round stoppage of Chris Bourke at the York Hall in Bethnal Green.

The 33-year-old then told his story to the nation’s fight fans in his post-fight interview with broadcasters TNT Sport.

“I had nothing,” said Lane, “and look what I made of myself. “This night will stay in my heart forever.”

Lane remembered being ‘homeless’ and ‘suicidal’ and has pulled through, much to the delight of his former amateur coach, John Daly.

Daly was with him right from the start.

He remembers the 15-year-old Lane coming to his Far Cotton gym on Towcester Road because he needed to fight back against the schoolyard bullies.

He was in Lane’s corner throughout his 45-bout amateur career and was at the York Hall with him on Friday night where Lane wore the white and gold colours of his former amateur club.

Daly walked to the ring with Lane and screamed encouragement at him throughout the fight until the referee dragged Lane off Bourke in the sixth round.

Daly said seeing Lane make history for Northampton was the ‘highlight’ of more than 50 years in boxing.

“If I retired tomorrow, I would be happy,” said Daly. “This is what I always wanted.

“I’ve had numerous boxers represent England since I opened the gym 20 years ago my best moment in amateur boxing was when Carl Fail won the ABA title (in 2016).

“The best thing in boxing for me is the British title and what an honour it was to be there to see Ash win it.

“I must mention Ash’s name in the gym every week and how he never missed a Sunday morning sparring session. I tell everyone in the gym that’s how champions are made.”

Lane, who grew up in Duston and had a spell living in Ecton Brook before moving to Bristol around a decade ago, says he intends to take the Lonsdale belt back to Northampton and the Far Cotton gym where it all started for him.

Lane admitted there were times when he thought he was finished with boxing during a hard professional career when he’s sometimes fought without being paid.

But, after more than a decade, he has never boxed better and wants a triple title showdown with European champion Thomas Essomba next.

Essomba knows Lane will be a hard night’s work, should the fight happen, after the way he dealt with Bourke.

Norman Snow, Tony Poole (twice), Allan Foster, Alan Bosworth, Kieron Conway and Lane himself had all previously fallen short in British title bids – and Lane was also fancied to lose.

TNT Sport fancied Bourke would win inside four rounds and Boxing News tipped the Streatham southpaw as well.

After two rounds, the fight was going with the formbook.

Lane was cut in the first and outboxed, before he started to get on top of Bourke.

He had him unravelling in the fifth and finished the fight in the next to make history for Northampton.