Boxing: Eastman lays on masterclass

It took Howard Eastman less than 30 seconds to take control of last night's European middleweight title fight against the Frenchman Christophe Tendil but somehow it lasted until the end of round four.

Eastman is arguably the classiest fighter in Britain at the moment because every single punch that he throws, every move that he makes inside the ring and every defensive sleight of hand is marked with quality.

Last night in front of nearly 3,000 people at the Nottingham Arena he was simply brilliant as he slowly broke the heart and finally broke the right cheekbone of Tendil, who had a grotesque swelling on the side of his face when the fight was stopped.

Eastman effortlessly slipped from single, raking jabs to blistering combinations of three or four short left hooks, and when in round four he increased the pace, it was a textbook display of world class boxing. "I know that many people consider me a difficult man to deal with but you saw tonight what I do best and that is perfection in the boxing ring,'' he said.

Eastman held the European title briefly back in 2001 but this time he will keep it for a bit longer until he can once again secure a world title fight and prove that he belongs at the very top of British boxing's small élite. Last night was both a pleasure and a mesmerising spectacle to witness.

* Neil Sinclair has the chance to win a Lonsdale Belt on Saturday when he defends his British welterweight title for a third time against the Welshman Bradley Pryce at Belfast's new Odyssey Arena. Sinclair is favourite to win but Pryce has a reputation as a powerful puncher.