HAIL King Ady - pride of Bury! Ady Lewis, the man they call the Mighty Atom, did just what he said he'd do on Monday, January 27, night and became the first boxer from the town ever to win a British championship.

And he did it the hard way, defeating Scotsman Keith Knox in his own back yard to take the vacant British Flyweight crown after a sensational twelve round contest at Glasgow's Sporting Club.

Lewis may be diminutive in size but there's no denying he's big in talent and with the title he collected the distinction of being Britain's smallest ever boxing champion - at a height of 4ft 10!

It was a superb achievement for the talented 21-year-old who remains unbeaten in his twelve professional fights but the likeable Lewis would be the first to acknowledge tremendous recognition must be given to his manager Jack Doughty and coach Stuart Andrews.

They have worked tirelessly with Lewis since he turned professional with the Tara organisation at the age of18.

"I'm so proud," is all his mentor Andrews could say after his man saw off Knox, a 29-year-old Bonnyrigg butcher, by 117 - 116 - seven rounds to five.

And even at the final bell Lewis himself was not sure he would collect the treasured Lonsdale belt.

"I knew it was close and I thought I had done enough to win it in the rounds. But you never know when you are fighting a Scot in his home town," he grinned.

Andrews admitted he thought Knox's corner had seen enough after a gruelling ninth round and pointed out that he was saved by the bell.

"Keith is a good strong competitor but had a cut eye so when his corner held a white towel up I thought they were going to throw it in, but the bell rang and they had time to sort it out."

In contrast, Lewis had hardly a mark on him as his ability to bob, weave and roll under punches prevented Knox making any headway.

Lewis admitted he was nervous as he walked to the ring, but once there his concentration was focused wholly on Knox as he powered blow after blow on the Scot, hardly wasting a punch. The Bury man had the better of the early rounds but despite a spirited late rally by plucky Knox all that was left was for Lewis's father Denzil to run out and tell mum Janet - made to wait in the lounge because of the Sporting Club's men-only policy - that their boy was the new champion.

And further glory beckons.

Lewis's camp have already got his defence of the title pencilled in for April and the confident - but not cocky - champion has no doubts that he will hang on to his title and should he successfully defend it twice he keeps the prized Lonsdale belt.

After the fight the Mighty Atom celebrated in Scotland with his band of supporters and the party returned to Bury mid-afternoon on Tuesday.

That evening all roads led to St Bede's Social Club where Lewis's team had arranged a homecoming get-together attended by some of the north's top boxing names, as well as family, friends and people who had helped him in his meteoric rise to prominence.

There, proud Tara boss Doughty praised Ady's achievement and British Boxing Board of Control Central Area chairman Nat Basso said with continued dedication there was no reason why the Bury boxer couldn't go on to European and World glory.

But after a hectic Christmas and New Year of training and dieting Lewis today flies out for for a week's rest in Tenerife, but the dedicated champ won't be overdoing it.

He dreams of a title defence at a packed Gigg Lane but that's in the future and at the moment he deserves his time basking in the glory of becoming the best eight stone fighter in the land.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.