This picture of city fighter Ross Burkinshaw has been chosen as one of the "most iconic" images of the last year in a national photography contest.
It is among eight pictures taken by Broomhall snapper David Short which were selected for the final of the Association of Photographers Photography Awards 2007.
The portfolio, which was taken at Sheffield Boxing Centre, Hillsborough, also depicts the exhausted faces of bantamweight Ross, 21, and other men following an intense training session.
It is the second time David, 38, who has a studio in Pitsmoor, has made it to the final stage of the contest after achieving a merit award in 2004 for a picture of a young girl which was part of a portfolio of children's photographs.
His boxing pictures missed out on any further accolades in the final, held at the Sadler's Wells Theatre, London, but copies have been included in a collection of finalists' work which is being distributed across the country.
David, who has been a professional photographer for 14 years, said: "There were 3,500 entries which were narrowed down to just a couple of hundred top images.
"To have my work included among them, meaning my photographs are published in a book distributed across the country, is quite an achievement on its own.
"Every photographer wants to get in the book - it is billed as a collection of the most iconic images from the past year and goes to every advertising agency and modelling agencies."
David is not too disappointed at missing out on an award in the final.
He said: "I'm the only photographer from northern England to have come this far this year. Winning an award as well would have been the icing on the cake."
David decided to take his photographs at the boxing gym after being persuaded by model Richard Beaumont, of Deepcar, who keeps in shape there and whose face is among those included in the portfolio.
"Rather than imposing anything on them I asked them to look their natural selves. Ross did a sort of classic boxer's pose," David said.
Ross, of Deepcar, joked: "When people I know first saw the photograph they thought it was airbrushed and didn't believe I looked like that for real. Now I have all the girls fighting over me!"
He added: "I think it is brilliant and am using it on all my promotional material."