On this day in 2006, South Londoner Matt Marsh defeats Rocky Dean to land the Southern Area featherweight title
Former standout amateur Matt Marsh clinched his first title in the pro ranks with a points win over Rocky Dean on December 9th 2006 at the ExCel Centre in Docklands.
The boxing star from Welling, who won multiple national titles in the amateurs for West Ham ABC, went on to lift the British title less than two years later.
Marsh went on to have a trilogy of scintillating fights with rival Rocky Dean that never failed to thrill the crowds.
They first met in December 2006 for Dean's Southern Area featherweight title, which Marsh won by 97-95 on points over 10-rounds at the ExCel in just his seventh pro bout.
They met again seven months later in Marsh's next fight for the vacant super-bantamweight Southern Area strap, which Marsh won again, this time by 96-94 on points.
Their concluding fight was for Marsh's British super-bantamweight belt in 2008, which Marsh once again triumphed in, winning on a mixed decision scored at 116-112, 116-113, 114-114.
Marsh now trains fighters at his South London gym. He guided Eastender Jamie Arlain to win the British Challenge lightweight belt and a Southern Area title eliminator, but retired soon after due to injury.
Hie most recent prospect, Prince Brady, won his debut fight on points on the last weekend of November this year.