[1][2] In 1990 his ABA quarter final against Robert McCracken in Birmingham ended prematurely when he was disqualified for leaving the ring to join in a brawl that had started among the two fighters' families.
After winning his first seven fights he beat Clay O'Shea in January 1995 to take the vacant BBBofC Southern Area light middleweight title.
A run of eight straight wins, including a second round knockout of former World lightweight champion Dingaan Thobela, was ended by defeat to Peter Malinga in January 1997.
[1][4] In July 1997, only a month after his mother was killed and his father seriously injured in a car crash, he successfully challenged Kevin Lueshing for the British welterweight title, stopping the defending champion in the tenth round.
In July 2000 he challenged Adrian Stone for the latter's IBO World super welterweight title, but was stopped in the sixth round.