Watch: Highlights of Froch v Leek at the Motorpoint Arena on Friday September 29
Boxing returned to the Nottingham arena for the first time in five years as Carl Froch’s brother Lee took to the ring against Richie Leak.
Lee won the fight after knocking Leak out inside two rounds to earn the EBF English heavyweight title.
Speaking after the fight, Lee said he was pleased to bring the sport he loves back to his home city.
He said: “We wanted to get the arena for this fight and we’ve built up from the nightclubs.
“We did the Derby Velodrome back in March and now we’ve had a really successful night here in the Nottingham Arena.
“It’s fantastic for boxing, fantastic for all the lads tonight and I’m so happy so many people turned out because it’s just brought boxing back.
“This is what it’s all about – five years on from the last fight, we’ve almost sold out the arena.”
The last boxing match to happen at the Nottingham Arena was when Carl Froch beat Yusaf Mack to defend his IBF World super middleweight title in 2012.
Lee said boxing has helped him to get out of a ‘state of disrepair’ he was in three years ago.
He said: “I was drinking myself to oblivion, I was just a mess.
“But then I thought I’ve got to get back into something, so I got back into the sport of boxing, owned up to my addictions and just corrected the wrongs.
“I worked hard every day and I said I was going sober in on July 11 2015 – I’m now free of it and I’m now fighting and winning titles.
“I’m not just doing myself proud but I’m also putting Nottingham back on the map and we’re bringing boxing back to a great venue in Nottingham again.”
