Eales ready to cause another ring upset!

Ashlee Eales…TV bout against big Spanish puncher on Saturday

ASHLEE Eales – footwork like Gene Kelly, power like a grenade – again rolls the dice on a major televised show this Saturday.

Nuneaton’s dangerman faces unbeaten and heavy handed Spaniard Diego Krasimirov over eight rounds on Boxxer’s major First Direct Arena, Leeds, bill.

It looks like being a busy night for manager Jon Pegg and the team at Eastside gym. He manages Eales and two others on the bill – Tyler Christopher and Todd Tompkins.

For Eales, the big opportunity is reward for a scintillating performance last time out. Ireland’s Daniel O’Sullivan was 8-0 and highly regarded before southpaw Ashlee demolished him in four rounds.

Big opportunities come with big risks, however, and Krasimirov looks risky with five of his 10 victories coming inside distance.

Eales, however, has left no stone unturned in training. “It’s the best camp I’ve ever had,” he said, “I’ve really pushed it in sparring.”

The 32-year-old, with only two losses in 14, is ready mentally and physically. That wasn’t the case for his last arena appearance – a scheduled 10 rounder with hot prospect Elliot Whale taken at just hours’ notice. Predictably, Eales began well but was running on empty when the end came in the sixth.

What’s more, the O’Sullivan performance has driven a golden seam through the bedrock of Eales’ belief. His confidence has never been so high.

“He (Krasimirov) is sharp, he’s had a lot of amateur bouts, he’s 10-0,” he said. “He’s definitely ‘there’, but he hasn’t faced anyone in the pros and I don’t think he’s ready for a fight of this magnitude. I’ve given it my all the last six months, things have changed completely in the last six months.

“I’m one win away from being top 10 in Britain, I’m not going to give that up.”

Ashlee has undoubted talent – it was application that was questioned before he knuckled down. He looked superb in travelling to Stanley Stannard’s backyard and taking the Midlands light-middleweight title in 2024.

Yet in the following bout, three months later, he was lacklustre in losing to Panama’s Omir Rodriguez.

Eales, one of the game’s larger-than-life characters, believes his destiny has always been to fight in front of the TV cameras.

He added: “I’m built for that stage. The first time (against Whale), it was short notice. This time I’m ready to go out, enjoy it and pull off another shock.”