Move over Tyson Fury -Blackpool's Richie Leak claims heavyweight bareknuckle championship title

The world has a new heavyweight bareknuckle fighting champion – a 44 year old ‘Viking’ from Blackpool.

Richie Leak wasn’t given much chance of taking the bareknuckle championship from Dan Podmore in front of 1,700 fight fans in Wolverhampton on Saturday night.

Leak stepped in at short notice after a late pull out. He had lost his previous fight and started a huge underdog against the defending champion from Birmingham.

Leak was cut and rocked in a one-sided opening round and went on to knock out Podmore in the third of a ‘Rocky’ fight that left ringsiders open mouthed.

The new champion said he would celebrate afterwards with “a large beer.”

He said: “It was all ab out who had the best chin and the biggest heart. I have given a pint of blood !”

Leak ended the fight with a vertical cut between his eyes and a gash under his left eye.

He also suffered a bloody nose in the opening round that turned his beard red.

Early in the second, Leak turned the fight his way with a right to Podmore’s jaw that flung the champion into the ropes.

Leak went on to drop Podmore with a perfectly-timed looping left hook in the dying seconds of the round. Podmore looked dazed after getting to his feet and the bell rang before another punch was thrown.

Leak was soon landing heavy shots again in the third to have Podmore hurt and covering up.

Podmore looked to grab and ended up on his knees. He looked blank eyed as he tried to get to his feet and his corner threw in the towel.