LOUGHTON Academy boxer James DeGale won the super-middleweight British title with an impressive ninth-round stoppage of Paul Smith.

DeGale, who has set up his training base at the Academy in Loughton, delivered his most eye-catching display to-date with a dominant performance over defending champion Smith.

The 24-year-old fighter looked to have the measure of his man throughout the bout, but it was an unanswered flurry of blows in the ninth that forced referee Howard Foster to eventually stop the fight. DeGale said after his victory: “I was too good and always felt in control.

“After the first round I thought 'oh my God, this is easy'. In the first round I said to him 'fight me'. He'd talked so much about what he was going to do so I told him to fight me.

“People underestimate the strength of my punching power. I'm so chuffed, so happy.”