Boxing: Jeffries poised for professional debut

Tony Jeffries is relishing the prospect of becoming the first Beijing Olympian to set foot in a professional ring when he meets Aliaksandr Vayavoda over four rounds in Barnsley on Friday.

The Sunderland 23-year-old, who scooped light-heavyweight bronze in the Chinese capital, will beat by one day the debuts of team-mates James Degale, Frankie Gavin and Billy Joe Saunders.

Despite getting off to a false start after an initial deal with promoter Dennis Hobson fell through, Jeffries linked up with Frank Maloney and cannot wait to get the action under way.

Jeffries said: "It's what I've been dreaming about for so long and Beijing seems such a long time ago now. It's going to be a very special night making my debut in front of my fans.

"It was tough adapting at first to the three-minute rounds and I was hitting the bags thinking the clock was going to last forever. I already feel like I've come on so much with my training."