NATHAN GORMAN bolstered his experience and passed his toughest test to date with a comprehensive ten round points victory over Dominic Akinlade on Saturday night.

Gorman, boxing in his ninth professional contest at the tender age of 20, took charge of the contest early with clever use of the jab on the backfoot.

Akinlade pressed forward through each of the ten sessions and was always dangerous with single right hooks, but Gorman’s cleaner counters were the order of the day for referee Jeff Hinds, who scored the fight 100-92.

The victory earned Gorman the right to contest both the English and IBO International heavyweight crowns while also giving him his first taste of boxing beyond five rounds.

With wins over the likes of Adam Machaj and Tom Little, Londoner Akinlade is a sizable scalp for any boxer and Gorman’s trainer Ricky Hatton believes the bout will prove to be a crucial step in his charge’s education.

“I’m very proud of the way Nathan performed,” Hatton said. “He boxed coolly throughout, listened to what I told him in the corner and completed ten rounds for the first time.

“I think some fans were expecting to see Nathan blast Dominic out early like he has with a couple of his recent opponents, but we knew it was always going to be a long fight and those rounds will stand him in good stead for the future.

“People forget he’s only 20 and he’s still very much a work in progress. Wins like this provide the building blocks for him to get where I expect him to and that’s the very top.”

Gorman will now some time away from the gym as his wife Natalie is expecting their first child in the next few weeks.

An announcement on his next fight will be made later in the spring.