Jason Easton went to war to win the vacant IBO inter-continental super lightweight title.
The Niddrie-based fighter also had to dig deep to stop brave Steve Jamoye from Belgium at Braehead.
Easton’s game plan worked. He had watched his rival on tape and knew he would have to weather an early storm.
Jamoye, who is in the form of his life, forced the pace early on and Easton suffered a gash over his right eye in the second round.
But the Scots accurate punching caused Jamoye, the current Belgium and BeNeLux super lightweight champion, damage as his left eye puffed up after four rounds and his corner had to work smartly.
Easton’s barrage continued. The Edinburgh puncher hit his opponents with combination shots and hurt him with lefts and rights to head and body.
By the seventh round Jamoye, the younger brother of former double workld title challenger and European champion, Stephane Jamoye, looked ragged but kept on coming. He caught Easton in the three minute session and walked back to his corner smiling.
However, Eastson re-focused and stopped his man in the ninth to be acclaimed a worthy winner. Now doors are opening for the Edinburgh boxer.
In his previous fight he stopped dangerous Zoltan Szabo in two rounds at Edinburgh’s Meadowbank Arena.
That impressive win followed Easton’s first title success in October last year when he stopped Welsh fighter Rhys Saunders for the vacant Celtic super lightweight title.
Easton, who was backed by nearly 300 fans, said: “I’m very fit and my training went really well.
“We’d watched some of his fights on YouTube and we knew he would come forward.
“I also knew that if I played a waiting game that we would get through in the second-half of the fight.”
He added: “There is no doubt that Jamoye is an experienced fighter who has been in with quality opposition.
“His record indicated he would be a tough opponent and he was. He gave me a wake-up call.
“I knew he would come looking for me but it was my job to stay cool, keep my chin out of the way, work him out and then go from there.”
He did just that. Easton said: “I felt he started to tire in the seventh and eighth rounds and I just kept the pressure on.
“It was then I started hurting him. However, I know I was head-hunting too much during the fight and that’s something I’ll have to watch. I must pick my shots a wee bit more.
“I felt relaxed and comfortable during the fight and I thank my trainers for their work.”
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