Jason Booth

Jason Booth (born 7 November 1977) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1996 to 2016.

Booth started his professional career in June 1996 with a third round win over Darren Noble at the Pinegrove Country Club in Sheffield.

By March 1998 he had compiled an unbeaten record of 10–0 and had earned an eliminating fight for the British flyweight title against Louis Veitch, it was a fight he won by knocking out Veitch in the second round.

Three more fights and three more wins followed including another victory over Veitch and a win over the unbeaten Bulgarian Dimitar Alipiev before the opportunity arose to fight for the European flyweight title.

Booth was now 14–0 and travelled to France to take on reigning champion David Guerault himself only 15–0.

It proved to be Booth's first defeat as the champion won a 12-round decision.

Booth followed up his first career defeat with victory back at home beating Mark Reynolds in Coventry before getting a fight with the current holder of the British and Commonwealth flyweight titles Keith Knox.

At regional level, he held the British and Commonwealth flyweight titles between 1999 and 2001; the Commonwealth bantamweight title from 2007 to 2008; the British super-bantamweight title from 2009 to 2011; the Commonwealth super-bantamweight title twice in 2010 and 2011.

He is the older brother of the former British and Commonwealth bantamweight champion, Nicky Booth.

The fight due to take place in Belfast on 16 October 1999 would have both titles on the line with Booth eventually winning in the 10th round.

The new champion defended his Commonwealth title first when in January 2000 he beat South African Abbey Mnisi.

In November 2000 he put both titles on the line when defending against 8–0 prospect Ian Napa eventually winning a 12-round unanimous decision.

The fight at the Robin Park Centre in Wigan saw Napa gain revenge for his defeat in 2000 with a 12-round points victory.

In February 2001, he made the second defence of his Commonwealth belt knocking out the Zimbabwean Nokuthula Tshabangu at the Harvey Hadden Leisure Centre in Nottingham.

Booth's brother, Nicky, was also on the bill and defeated Adey Lewis with a seventh round stoppage to crown a good night for the brothers and a unique one in British boxing history in that it was the first time that two siblings had defended titles on the same night.

His next fight saw Booth, who now had a record of 20–1 challenge once again for the European flyweight title.

This time the opponent was Russian Alexander Mahmutov and the fight was to be in the Spanish capital Madrid.

Booth's second career defeat once again came when challenging for European honours losing the bout again on points over 12 rounds.

Booth was hoping to make it third time lucky when in June 2001 he challenged once again for the title.

Mahmutov had vacated and the vacant title was up for grabs with Booth travelling back to France to face Mimoun Chent.

The dream was not to be realised however when the fight was stopped in the seventh round due to a series of nasty cuts around the Frenchman's eyes, Booth ended up losing on a technical decision.

He held the IBO super-flyweight title from 2003 to 2004, and challenged once for the IBF super bantamweight title in 2010.

Two more non-title fights back in the United Kingdom saw Booth get back to winning ways with two more wins before, in September 2003, re-entering the championship frame.

The title on the line was the IBO super-flyweight title held by South African Lunga Ntontela.

The fight saw Booth put down in the seventh round but still ended with a win for the British man after claiming a split decision victory.

A defence in March 2004 saw him beat Huddersfield based Dale Robinson before losing the title in December 2004 to Northern Ireland's Damaen Kelly himself a former European champion.

Following the loss of his IBO belt, Booth spent almost two years away from the ring as he struggled with addiction.

Booth spent all of his earnings on a combination of alcohol and drugs.

The suicide of his sister Deana years prior had triggered his alcoholism.

Eventually, he checked into a rehabilitation clinic and began training once more with trainer Tony Harris.

Booth made his comeback on 3 November 2006 moving up to bantamweight with a win over journeyman Abdul Mghrbel at the Barnsley Metrodome almost two years since his defeat to Kelly.

He followed this up in February 2007 with a win against Jamil Hussain and then on 6 July 2007 stepped into the ring with former opponent Ian Napa to challenge for the British bantamweight title.

The same venue would prove to be the location for his next fight as Booth returned on 8 December 2007 to defeat Welsh prospect Matthew Edmonds for the Commonwealth title.

The win over Edmonds meant that Jason Booth could now claim to be a two weight Commonwealth champion.

He defended his new title on 7 March 2008, against Ghana's Lante Addy, and won a non-title bout against Dai Davies in June 2008.

He made a second defence on 18 December 2008 with Dublin being the location for a challenge from Pontefract-based fighter Sean Hughes.

On 17 April 2009, Booth won the vacant British super-bantamweight title with a victory over English champion Mark Moran.

Booth had been meant to fight Lee Haskins for the British super-flyweight title before Haskins pulled out with a hand injury.

Booth won the fight in the 10th round following a corner retirement from Hughes.

After the fight with Hughes, Booth said that he "didn't realise how well I boxed" and would now like a rematch with Ian Napa as they had "unfinished business."