Eales given perfect test by tough Tinklin

Eales after his landslide win over Jake Tinklin on Saturday night

I THOUGHT Ashlee Eales was unduly harsh on himself following shut out victory over Jake Tinklin on Saturday’s Chase Leisure Centre show.

It was not vintage Eales, but no one expected to witness the former Midlands light-middleweight champ at his best.

His timing was understandably off, he was guilty of smothering his own work, he leapt in, it sometimes got messy.

But southpaw Ashlee hadn’t fought since last June, was coming off his first loss and returning after breaking his hand.

There was a lot of rust to shed, this was about banking rounds and tough Welshman Tinklin proved the perfect rust remover.

As a comeback opponent, Tinklin was no slouch. He’d held the Welsh title at light-welter and possessed a winning record.

As it was, southpaw Eales, light at 10st 8lbs, registered a first round knockdown and dominated the six rounder, referee Ryan Churchill scoring 60-53.

And perhaps the greatest positive off all is the fact the Nuneaton showman’s fragile hands didn’t suffer damage.

Perhaps the Eales of old would’ve pounced after dropping Tinklin (10st 10lbs) with a right in the first, but a distance fight was probably what was needed.

Tall Tinklin was made of stern stuff. He climbed off the canvas at three, his nose blooded and recovered to give Eales an argument.

The visitor took some thumping shots in the second, kept plugging forward, made Eales looked a little ragged in the third.

Ashlee sometimes swung and missed wildly, but regrouped and jabbed in the fifth, then connected with a right hook. Tinklin landed with a left hook.

Jake kept pushing forward in the last, copping an eye-catching lead uppercut for his efforts.

Eales probably wanted a more spectacular return to arms. A distance fight, however, has done him a lot more good in the long run.