‘Pretty’ Ricky Boylan beat Tony Owen to be crowned king of Carshalton and claim the Southern Area light-welterweight title.

The 25-year-old beat his good friend and defending champion Tony Owen in four rounds during the early minutes of Sunday morning at ExCel Arena, London Docklands to claim the Southern crown along with the all-important Carshalton bragging rights.

Fitness instructor Owen, 26, was on top for the first three rounds but his short reign as Southern Area champion ended when his fellow Carshalton native produced an exhilarating fourth round stoppage.

Boylan, who began learning his boxing trade at Rose Hill ABC before switching to the Sky Blue vest of Earlsfield ABC, afterwards paid full compliments to the very game Owen.

He said: “I’ve got to give full credit to Tony Owen for beating me literally for three rounds. He was beating me to the jab while I just couldn’t seem to get my shots off.

“But as soon as I hurt him I knew he was gone.

“This Southern Area title means the world to me – I’m over the moon. I’ve had ten hard week training camp for this, I put everything into this.

“I sold 425 tickets for this, my support has been amazing and I can’t be thankful enough. To have that sort of support this early in my career is brilliant.”

The now 10-fight unbeaten Boylan’s next contest could see him face either Tyler Goodjohn, who earlier on the Eddie Hearn Matchroom Boxing promoted ExCeL bill outpointed old foe Hackbridge’s former title holder Danny ‘Cassius’ Connor over 10 rounds, for the vacant English mantle or a mandatory title defence against Essex man John Wayne Hibbert”