Jimmy First stuns unbeaten Cori Gibbs to continue winning pro boxing record

The Dicky’s Gym boxer made history in March when he won the Central Area lightweight title and became the oldest ever to win the crown.

He followed up with more successes in two more fights in Leeds and Bradford in 2022 before his biggest yet on a big card at the Bournemouth International Centre featured live on Sky Sports on Saturday night.

Up against a highly rated prospect who was 12 years younger, he won on points to make it 14 wins from 14 pro fights as he proved age can be just a number.

And First’s victory was all the more remarkable as the win over Cori Gibbs came against an unbeaten fighter after he had only taken the contest at just one week’s notice.

First, who lives in Brighouse, looked to be in for a tough night initially as Gibbs showed the skills that had led to him winning his first 17 pro fights and appeared to hurt the Yorkshireman a little in the second round.

But the man from the Batley gym dug in, came more into the fight and a loose gum shield cost Gibbs, who was docked a point in each of the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds after it repeatedly fell out.

The deductions proved vital in the end as referee Sean McAvoy held up the hands of First at the end, scoring the contest 76-73 in his favour.

Afterwards a delighted Jimmy said: "It means absolutely everything to me.

"On a week-a-half’s notice – give me an eight-week camp next time and I can show you what I can do.

"Credit to Cori Gibbs, good fighter and he came and fought my kind of fight and we had a bit of a toe to toe in there.

"He could hit hard and he caught me with a couple of shots, caught me with a body shot. But you’ve got to hammer me down and nail me to the canvas to keep me down.

"I just had to fight my heart out, he came and fought a good hard fight. He’s shown that he’s not just a back foot fighter. But you know, heart of a lion, it’s that Yorkshire spirit.

On what happened with his opponents’ gum shield, he said: “It was just a bit weird. It kept going out I’m like ‘ref, what’s going on here’. Fair play to the ref, he did the right thing and took the points off him.”

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First did not have his first professional fight until he was 36 in 2017, after being in the amateur ranks from 2010.

Ahead of his latest contest he indicated he wanted to go on until he is aged 45, declaring his ambition to win the British title before he retires. He will be back in action next year, but after a deserved little rest now.

He added: “I best take boxing a bit more seriously now, haven’t I? No I’m only kidding. I’ll have a nice Christmas, go back to my beautiful lady Paula and all my family and friends, thank you to everyone.

"Listen, we beat Cori Gibbs and we beat the bookies baby come on."