Winning pro debut for Stubbs

Photo: Kevin Finn

VICTORIOUS Tommy Stubbs.

Boxing: TOMMY Stubbs put in a professional performance on his professional debut.

The Chadderton youngster earned a points decision over Kuwaiti-born bantamweight Anwar Alfadli at Sheffield’s Ponds Forge on Saturday night.

Alfadli is trained in the Steel City at the legendary Brendan Ingle gym, which churned out world champions Prince Naseem Hamed and Johnny Nelson and is a notoriously wily fighter.

But Stubbs, who is a member of Ricky Hatton’s stable in Hyde, showed a maturity above his 21 years to earn himself a comfortable 40-36 win.

Stubbs boxed in a similar way to his amateur days. With his left hand down and hanging back, he seems almost nonchalant, but his well-picked shots were the more damaging in the first.

Into the second and Stubbs continued to select his shots at will, catching Alfadli from awkward angles and making him miss.

Stubbs perhaps lost concentration in the third and was caught a few times by hooks from the swinging Alfadli, but he still landed enough punches to pinch the round.

In the final round, Stubbs showed yet more patience and continued to pick off his shorter opponent from distance. He landed with some more eye-catching shots to take the decision without losing a round.

Stubbs weighed in as a super-bantamweight, but is expected to box in a lower weight division and could even take part in the upcoming super-flyweight Prizefighter at Liverpool’s Olympia venue next month.