Ashlee suffers first defeat on GBM bill

Eales has Rodriguez covering up. Pic: GBM Sports/Leigh Dawney

I WARNED it was a potential banana skin and so it proved.

On GBM’s Saturday night show at Coventry Skydome, Midlands light-middle champ Ashlee Eales suffered his first pro defeat at the hands of Omir Rodriguez.

After six rounds, the Panamanian, drafted in when a title defence by Eales fell through, was declared a 57-56 winner by referee Ryan Churchill.

And Eales, who lost for the first time in 11 bouts, took the decision with exemplary sportsmanship, although the Nuneaton hope and his manager Jon Pegg thought they “nicked it”.

I didn’t.

It was a curious performance. Eales looked set for an early night after dropping Rodriguez in the first, then let his workrate dip, allowing the visitor to trundle forward.

Ash later revealed he suffered a broken right hand in the second, which may explain why he threw punches sparingly.

“It’s my first loss and that will take a little time to sink in,” said the 30-year-old, “but you have to take your ‘l’ and get back on the horse.”

He candidly admitted: “I fell asleep in there.”

Pegg said: “I think there was a bit of complacency after the title fight fell through. The knockdown in the second didn’t help, either – he got excited.”

Rodriguez may have a losing, 14-19-1 record, but he’s mixed in very good class and is a tough hombre.

A right hook sent him on the floor for seven in the first and Eales (11st 2lb 9oz) also connected with a long left to the body.

Yet by the second Rodriguez (11st 4lb 2oz) was pushing forward and having some success with cuffing blows. A left on the bell shook Eales who spent the next session trying to keep Rodriguez at bay with southpaw jabs.

The champ simply did not do enough in the fourth and continued to pick his shots in the fifth.

He was pinned against the ropes in the final session as Rodriguez threw punches to head and body.

He had deservedly won it on work rate.