Georgie Smith shook off self-confessed ring-rust to unleash an emphatic finish, then promised to be even stronger for his British title bid next month.

Smith, 28, stopped journeyman Shaun O'Neill after finding his rhythm in the second round, and said: "I'm going to step up my sparring to bring the crown back to Basildon."

Smith's encouraging welterweight victory at York Hall, Bethnall Green, followed eight months out from boxing, since losing his Inter-Continental title to Charlie Kane at Southend.

He admitted: "I was a bit overwhelmed by the crowd at first last night, but in the end it was a nice warm-up.

"I didn't get it together in the first round. I needed to be a bit sharper and was getting caught needlessly.

"I got going in the second round and was hitting him with more and more good shots. I've seen it on video and the referee was right to stop it."

Basildon's Smith, now with 16 wins in 18 fights, began tentatively against Sunderland veteran O'Neill.

Nonetheless, Smith's only real combination of punches in the opening round - midway through it - confirmed his slight edge in the first three minutes.

Then, after a quiet start to the second round - albeit with O'Neill landing a decent hook - Smith's punching, movement and power increasingly slipped into place.

He broke through O'Neill's rugged defence repeatedly, notably with his left hook, before upgrading his attack into an onslaught that became heavier and heavier.

O'Neill kept his guard up doggedly, but referee Tony Walker erred understandably on the side of safety when he stopped the contest with 25 seconds left in the round.

Smith said: "I'd like to dedicate the win to the birth of my second son, Tommy.

"I knew I'd have to get over my ring-rust, and in the second round I was a bit more relaxed.

"I'm going to get down to some hard training and serious sparring, so I'll be 100 per cent when I fight Derek Roche."

Smith faces unbeaten UK champion Roche - who has knocked out his IBO conqueror Kane - in Carlisle on July 31.

World and European title fights - targets Smith aspires to - are on the same bill, which is being televised live by Sky.

In contrast, however, Smith's Matchroom stablemate, Grays' previously-unbeaten welterweight Darren Bruce, was often overwhelmed when topping last night's bill against terrier-like Frederic Noto.

The Frenchman seemed to have won the ten-rounder more comfortably than the 97-95 points verdict in his favour suggested.

Bruce perhaps shared the opening two rounds, but rarely exploited his height and reach advantage thereafter, wilting late on, particularly under an eighth-round battering.

Ducking and diving - Georgie Smith has his opponent, Shaun O'Neill, on the defensive as the Basildon boxer launches a volley of shots at Bethnall Green's York Hall last night

(Right) Back on the title trail - Georgie Smith celebrates his win

Pictures: LUAN MARSHALL

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