Multiple amateur champ wants pro titles soon
Eithan James has been carrying out his research with a view to placing himself in the title mix at Area level.
The 20-year-old five-times National champion and Commonwealth Youth gold medallist moved himself to 5-0 as a pro last weekend with a convincing points victory over Clayton Bricknell at the Copper Box Arena.
The Northampton resident, who goes by the nickname of 'Jammy' was pleased with his night's work in what was his first six-rounder.
"It was good and I enjoyed it," reflected James, who was also a two-times Tri-Nations and Haringey Box Cup winner as an amateur. "It was a step up, although I had a change of opponent at the last minute that threw me off a bit. I thought I boxed well and it was a good first six rounds.
"I think it is going good for me and I think in the first four fights it was good to get that journeyman experience under my belt – tough lads who would give me the rounds and get me used to being around the environment. Now I have stepped up to lads with a winning record and that is what I want to keep doing now.
"I have been looking at Area titles and at a few lads from around my way. There are a couple who hold titles who I know I could have a good shot at before the end of the year, maybe next. I probably need to have a couple more six and eight rounders and then look at the beginning of next year."
James brought about a change of circumstances ahead of his fourth fight when he departed Bromley's iBox Gym in favour of working closer to home. He was not unsettled or unhappy with his progression, it was purely geography and petrol money that saw to it that change became inevitable.
"I've moved back up to Northampton and had to leave the iBox. It was just the travelling and work was getting too much, so I spoke to Alan Smith and Eddie Lam and they said they could tell I was struggling.
"I was having to miss sessions every now and again just because of traffic and not finishing work early enough. So I have moved back near home and I am enjoying it. It was difficult to make the switch because they gave me a good start and everything was going how I wanted it to. I didn't really want to move away from where everything was working.
"I had to make a choice because it was costing me a lot of money just to travel down there and, at the moment, I can't move away from work so it was a bit of a struggle."
James opted to return to his amateur roots and reunite with former amateur trainer James Conway.
"I have been with James since I was 13 so he knows how everything works with me and he is doing a good job with Kieron (his 16-1-1 super welterweight son) and it is going well.
"We travel a lot for sparring and my last spar before my fight was at Adam Booth's gym, where I sparred the welterweight Ryan Martin. We travel to Birmingham a lot as well."
The next staging post in the pro journey of James is to finish a fight before the final bell. It was noticeable against Bricknell that the usually style-conscious youngster started to plant his feet and was prepared to trade a few shots.
"Yeah I wanted to see what I could do, empty my tank and see where I was at. At the end of six I felt I could have done another two rounds and I wanted to test my fitness. I'm not too bothered about the stoppages as long as I keep getting the wins and look good doing it. That is all I'm fussed about."
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