The Herald - Herald Sport

Easton heartbroke­n as governing body refuse licence

- DARREN JOHNSTONE

JASON Easton admits he is devastated his boxing career is over after the British Boxing Board of Control refused to reinstate his licence.

The former Celtic and IBO InterConti­nental super lightweigh­t champion had his boxing credential­s revoked after admitting to a street attack in Edinburgh in July 2017.

At sentencing a year later, Easton was ordered to attend anger management sessions, was put on an 18-month supervisio­n order and told to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work; however, the 28-year-old admits the reason his licence has not been handed back is due to concerns over his health.

Easton, a former stablemate of IBF champion Josh Taylor, spent the night in hospital after suffering the first defeat of his 12-fight career to Glenn Foot in March last year.

He said: “I got the call and received the decision that I wasn’t allowed my licence back and won’t be allowed to fight again because I suffered from migraines during training and in my last fight. I totally get why they are so serious about my health as we have lost some warriors recently but I only suffered a migraine during my last fight and previously in training.

“But I’ve had two MRI scans and passed several eye tests but they still refuse to give me back my licence.

“It’s absolutely broke my heart! It’s all I’ve ever known. Best years of my life have been taken away.”

Meanwhile, Tyson Fury admits he gets “turned on” by facing the unknown and that is why he will not under-estimate Otto Wallin in their heavyweigh­t fight in Las Vegas.

The Swede has a 20-bout unbeaten record, which includes 13 knockouts, but none have been anywhere near this level and Fury’s trainer Ben Davis said even he struggled to find footage of the unheard-of 28-year-old.

Fury has taken the fight as a stopgap ahead of an expected rematch against Deontay Wilder in February and while he knows little about his opponent, that merely adds to the excitement for the Mancunian.

“I don’t know much about Otto at all and sometimes that’s a good thing as when you know everything about an opponent it doesn’t turn me on like it should do,” said the 31-year-old. “But when you have the unknown that is more exciting.”

Comparison­s have been drawn from Wallin’s compatriot Ingemar Johansson who 60 years ago shocked the world by upsetting dominant world champion Floyd Patterson in New York; however, Fury insists that will not happen on Saturday.

“I’ve not overlooked him, I’ve been in America for five weeks training,” he added.

“No one is under any illusions. Ingemar Johansson came and knocked out Floyd Patterson. Is Otto Wallin going to knock out el rey de los gitanos [Fury has adopted the Spanish translatio­n of the Gypsy King for his fight on Mexican Independen­ce weekend]? Definitely not.”

 ??  ?? Former title fighter Jason Easton
Former title fighter Jason Easton

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