McDonnell a Eurostar!

French sport didn't have it all it's own way against the English last night.  'Les Bleus' might have edged out our rugby team in Paris but hundreds of miles away on the south coast there is now a corner of France that will be forever Yorkshire as Doncaster's Jamie McDonnell travelled to Le Cannet, Cannes and battered the European bantamweight champion, stopping Jerome Arnould in the tenth round.

I have no idea what young Jamie (left, c David Statham), still only 23, put on his wish list for 2010 but it might be worth trying to find out his lottery numbers.  He was a rank outsider when he challenged Ian Napa in January for his British and Commonwealth titles and squeaked home via a split decision.

Now, again an outsider against former world title challenger Arnould, he has gone to the champion's back yard and come away a victor.  I can scarcely believe this is the same lad I saw lose to Chris Edwards just over two years ago.

Only a tiny following accompanied McDonnell, and fellow pros Liam Cameron and Nicki Smedley have already been on the BoxRec British forum lauding their mate's triumph.

Smedley positively beamed, "Jamie Mac has won in style! First of all, Boxing News haven't got a clue as Jamie dominated this fight from the first bell.

"He was asking to pick it up from the eighth round but he was told to keep doing the same as Arnould was running out of ideas.

"Jamie broke him down and destroyed him, a proud moment for us all...and what a time we have had in Cannes!"

McDonnell reportedly started very well and although the now former champion staged a rally in the seventh and eighth rounds, the Donnie Destroyer continued with his game plan and systematically broke Arnould up, dropping him before the referee called matters to a halt in the tenth.

This is a truly remarkable achievement and McDonnell deserves a civic reception in his home town, as well as the praise and respect of everyone in British boxing.