New English welterweight champion Sean Noakes says his title success is still to sink in.

Noakes, 29, took the belt in just his eighth professional contest after a unanimous points victory over Inder Bassi (12-2) at the 02 Arena in London at the end of last month.

A dressing-room visit from brother and fellow boxer Sam settled the nerves and as the Maidstone man headed to the ring he knew it was going to be his night.

“English champion after eight fights isn’t too bad, is it?” said former Westree amateur Noakes.

“It’s still not really sunk in but I’ve never been up for a fight so much.

“Backstage I was a bit nervous and then my brother turned up and all the nerves went and we were all laughing and joking in the changing room.

“I was raring to go. I was a bit over-eager if anything. I rushed some of my work. I could have knocked him out in the eighth, definitely, I just got too excited.

“My brother always comes in the dressing room before a fight and the mood kind of lifts when we all get together. It takes the edge off. You don’t want to be sitting there dwelling on the fight.

“In my head, going into the ring, nothing was going to beat me. Bassi couldn’t hurt me. I felt indestructible. He could have hit me with anything that night and I wouldn’t have let him beat me.”

It was a step up in class for both fighters but Noakes handled the occasion better at one of the biggest indoor arenas in the UK.

He came to box whereas his opponent seemed more intent on trying to frustrate.

“He was definitely a step up in class but he was quite negative,” said Noakes.

“He didn’t want to engage too much.

“He kept jabbing and moving backwards and I don’t like having to chase people too much but I had to chase him a bit.

“I think the fight got to him. I haven’t boxed in an arena that big before but I’ve done Wembley a couple of times and the Copper Box. He hadn’t done that.

“He likes boxing on the back foot but he just didn’t engage and he kept holding.

“I was losing my temper a little bit sometimes and I was pushing him off.

“The referee told me off and I said, ‘Tell him to stop holding me then’.

“That was some experience walking out there for a small boy from a council estate in Maidstone to be boxing at the 02. It’s mad. It was unreal.

“Even the ring walk was different. I just took everything in and slowed everything down. I normally march to the ring but this time I took my time and enjoyed every moment of it.”

Noakes hopes to box once more this year before pushing on towards more success in 2025.

He added: “I’ll have a word with my manager (Francis Warren) and we’ll go from there.

“This is my first title and hopefully the first of many.

“I think what we want to do is go down the international route, get another title and probably next year go for the British.

“That’s what’s in my head anyway.”