Wes Joyce wins first boxing match and says it'll be his last

The ex-con, who says he is two months sober, stepped into the ring on Saturday (March 26) for a bareknuckle contest at Perdiswell Leisure Centre.

A training regime of running, swimming and going to the gym, combined with sobriety, saw Mr Joyce lose two stone in weight before the fight.

He had previously been drinking 15 pints a day since being released from prison four years ago.

Mr Joyce’s debut boxing match finished with a win by knockout in the second round - and was followed by a win on points for his son Leyton later in the night.

“I really enjoyed it,” said Mr Joyce. “I turned up at 2.30pm for the weigh in, had my medical then I was there the rest of the night.

Wes Joyce approaches the ring and has his opponent on the ground

“I had my hands wrapped then it was just hanging around for the fight. I was shocked because I didn’t feel nervous. I’m usually nervous before playing football or anything so I couldn’t really understand it, but the crowd was amazing.”

READ MORE: Wes Joyce two months sober as he prepares for boxing match

Mr Joyce, who is donating his fight purse to Ukraine charity appeals, said he had a gameplan and stuck to it.

“My plan was to take the punches to start off with and let him tire himself out,” he said. “With the adrenaline on the night I didn’t feel them - but I’m feeling it now.

Wes Joyce before his first boxing match

“We’re both heavyweights so I just went at one pace throughout the fight rather than going in blasts. I got him with a right-handed punch and he went down for a 20-second count. As soon as I’d got him once, I knew I could beat him.”

Asked if he planned to take part in any more bouts, he said: “That’s it for me. I’m not going to do it again. I’ve proved a point to myself really.

“If you put your mind to something, you can do it. I’ve shown what can be done if you give it a try.”

Mr Joyce, who admitted feeling sore after his exploits in the ring, said he might give rugby a go next.