The Haymaker: Farmer Ed Hardy has a field day in the boxing ring

The millionaire TV personality isn't the only South Yorkshireman who has become a celebrity farmer.

Ed Hardy has also embraced the unusual combination of fame and farming.

He made his professional debut in a Sheffield boxing ring last Friday, having taken time off his day-job in agriculture.

Ed works as a fourth-generation farmer at Marr, near Doncaster, where he mixes hard work in the fields with gym work under the supervision of Grant Smith, at Steel City gym in Darnall.

The 22-year-old was a two-time national champion in the amateur game before trying his luck in pastures new, turning professional as a super featherweight on a GBM Sports bill at the Canon Arena.

He entered the ring dressed in a green farming jacket, accompanied by the John Denver song 'Take Me Home, Country Roads' to ensure nobody missed the branding.

"It is a unique story you don't really get any boxing farmers so we use it to our advantage and we can publicise farming more and also it will help me with my boxing" he said.

The night went well with Ed harvesting a four-round (39-37) points victory over Engel Gomez, a Slovakian-based Nicaraguan.

"I was a bit nervous before but as soon as I got into the ring walk my nerves went and I was fine when I got in that ring, I felt at home, ready," he said.

"He (Gomez) was three or four weight classes above me - they couldn't get me an opponent, so we had to move up to box him."

He said he was pleased by his performance, particularly how he succeeded in catching the visitor to the body.

"It was a bit annoying that the referee's scorecard (Andy Brook) gave him one of the rounds, I don't know what they gave him that for. It should have been 40-36 but it is one of those things, it is still a win!"

The Marr Grange Farm worker said he was delighted that there was some much talent on the local scene.

The former Team England boxer hopes to progress quickly and has a GBM deal for the next three fights over six rounds.

"I feel more comfortable, I get better as the rounds go on; more time to suss them out and break them down and get stoppages."

*Unbeaten Steel City-trained featherweight Ebonie Jones scored a points-decision win over Kenyan Consolata Musanga in Portsmouth last weekend to land the Commonwealth Silver title, her first belt.

"I want bigger fights, bigger shows" she said, adding she'd be happy to fight Luton's Tysie Gallagher, who defended her own Commonwealth belt, in Sheffield, last Friday.

Meanwhile Conisbrough's Joe Hayden's planned Central Area title fight with Adam Sircar has fallen through.

Instead, the unbeaten 24-year-old southpaw will top the bill with an eight round fight against super lightweight Dan Booth on November 30.

Woodlands' Tommy Sams aims to take his record to five straight wins on October 13 at Bradford in a six-rounder versus Leeds' lightheavyweight Denzil Browne.