Two Sheffield boxers triumph on foreign soil

Din, who has re-ignited his fight career six years after moving from Lane Top for Dubai, was in action against Thai-based Songchai Songklod, when the incident happened.

Songklod, aged 17, walked into a heavy right hand 34 seconds into the third round and fell heavily.

Din, 31, went down on one knee immediately at his opponent's side - and was thankful that there was no serious damage inflicted.

He told The Star: "A minute before I had caught him with the exact same punch and he got up at the eight count.

"I thought to myself: 'He’s definitely tough.'

"I did celebrate directly after the (stoppage) punch but when I saw him laid on the floor and not moving I stopped and went to make sure he was okay as ultimately it is a sport and I want him to be safe.

"He was fine shortly after, thank God."

The win moved Din's rejuvenated career to 12 wins and one loss.

Songklod represented his seventh knockout.

The fight happened less than a week after Din announced his return to the ring with a win in Dubai, after a five-year absence from the sport.

His previous bout had been a points victory over Anwar Alfadli at the Double Tree Hilton Hotel, Norton, Sheffield in 2018.

The Sheffielder's scrap at a nightclub in Bangkok was at flyweight - a weight class lower than his previous one, demonstrating he has no problem reaching 115 pounds (52 kg.)

Din said: "It was all a bit strange as I was the first to enter the ring and first to be announced, I thought to myself surely it is supposed to be the other way round!

"He was marching forward throwing big punches so I knew he came to win."

The boxer, who trained under Keith Palmer in Sheffield, added: "That's two fights in six days and a lot of travelling.

"My next one is in January but if the phone rings before Christmas I’ll happily take it."

Meanwhile, Kean Wainwright (W11 L2) is another Sheffield boxer who has conquered, overseas, in the last few days.

The 25-year-old southpaw beat Haithem Laamouz in Malta to become Commonwealth silver champion.

Sheffield Boxing Centre trainer Glyn Rhodes said: "It was a pleasure to work in the corner of this kid.

"We all know in boxing that everyone’s got a plan until they get punched on the nose but Saturday night we had a plan and this kid didn’t deviate once from it.

"Nothing is more annoying for a boxing coach when you ask your fighter to do something and they go and do the opposite.

"But Keanen stuck to the plan right to the final bell.

"There were times when he could have deviated from our plan and tried for a stoppage.

"Things could have changed with just one punch from a vastly more experienced kid but Keanen stuck to the plan and won a unanimous decision over 10 great rounds bringing home to Sheffield his first championship belt."