The Sky technician described it as the best domestic boxing show he had worked on and couldn't wait to come back again.

An enthusiastic capacity crowd of 1,300 packed into Huddersfield Leisure Centre confirmed to a national TV audience what West Yorkshire has known for a while. This is THE region for a sport that has taken some damaging blows in recent years.

Boxing locally is in rude health. And king of the ring is Bradford.

James Hare's glorious accession to the Commonwealth welterweight title last weekend was the latest accolade for boxing's boom city.

Hare, who trains at the Parkes Gym at Wibsey, crushed Australian Julian Holland on a night that reinforced this area - and Bradford in particular - as the rising power-base in England for the sweet science.

By the end of the year, Bradford could lay claim to one of the main versions of the world title, a champion in Europe and five in Britain. That's a knock-out CV that would floor the likes of London, Manchester and Birmingham.

Bobby Vanzie, fighting for the European lightweight belt in Milan next month, has been at the forefront of Bradford's ascent.

Vanzie, who lives slap bang in the middle of the city, has worked his way through British and Commonwealth success. He is currently preparing for the biggest night in Bradford's boxing history since Richard Dunn fought Muhammad Ali.

But Vanzie also takes a keen interest in the rest of the boxing fraternity. He was ringside to see Hare triumph and is delighted with the snowballing effect that such wins are having.

He said: "It seems that every city has its day. It used to be Sheffield and now it's Bradford which is great news for this area.

"It's what we need for this sport not to die. The boxing scene here is booming and the recognition is there, which raises the profile of the city.

"Hopefully the success we are achieving at the moment will encourage more youngsters to give it a go. I feel amateur boxing is still too technical at times with too much reliance on computer scoring rather than style, but the way the likes of myself, Junior Witter, and James Hare go about the job then it might get more young people following our example and trying to turn professional."

Hare said: "It lifts you seeing how well the others are doing. You milk off the success of other people and if one of us does well it carries everyone along.

"When I was little there weren't that many people around to look up to, apart from Naseem Hamed. But now there are a few of us who are doing well and we bounce off each other's performances."

Chris Aston is the fitness fanatic who works the corner for Hare and the bulk of the city's professional set. He has seen the transformation and believes it can create a production line of future talent.

Aston said: "Naz brought some credibility to Yorkshire boxing and it has developed from there.

"The talent has come through over the last few years and success breeds success.

"The interest in this area is definitely there. You've seen what Vanzie and Witter have done and now James Hare and Dale Robinson want to carry that on, they are encouraged by what is happening locally.

"You look at James who is clean-cut, clean living and he's still got the best years ahead of him.

"He can go on and achieve more and is the ideal role model for younger fighters. The kids in this gym are all grounded and take their boxing seriously - they are not big drinkers who go out living it up every night like Johnny Tapia.

"They have real ambition in this sport and we make sure they don't step out of line.

"And if seven or eight years down the road, when the next generation comes through, James Hare motivates someone to become the next James Hare then we are heading the right way."