An hour after his first round stoppage of Rodrigo Matias Areco last Saturday night, The Ring found Nelson Birchall sat quietly in the crowd at Manchester’s Co-Op Live arena watching a replay of his win on his phone.

The 20 year-old featherweight enjoys watching his fights back.

“When it’s nice and sexy like that, yeah,” Birchall, 8-0 (5 KOs), laughed.

“I was just watching it for a bit of enjoyment but I will go back home and I'll watch it back just to correct a few things.”

There didn’t appear to be much to correct. He set about the Argentinean from the opening bell. Birchall was too strong and fast for Areco but the former star amateur was also much too skilful and clever.

The fight only lasted 91 seconds but Birchall made the most of every moment he spent in the ring. Birchall made Areco fall short with some sharp footwork, hurt him with crisp counter punches and then smartly switched his attack from head to body and back again.

Birchall was happy with what he saw.

“It was good, nice, mature. As soon as I let my hands go, as soon as I landed crisp on him really, he didn't really want to know,” he said.

“I think I was just much too powerful for him but it wasn't just even the power, I think it was more the intelligence. People don't seem to realize the stuff that I was working on in there. Touching his glove with my jab and then banging the jab in, stuff like that.

“You've got to open them up like a tin. That’s what I did and as soon as I really landed it, that was it. Game over.”

Birchall doesn’t toy with his opponents or drag things out unnecessarily but there is no sense of him rushing or allowing things to get untidy.

The thrashing of Areca was the southpaw’s eighth win in just 15 months and the improvements are clear to see.

Last February, Birchall boxed Nicargua’s Robin Zamora on a small hall show in Manchester.

His amateur schooling and raw talent was evident but he also allowed himself to get carried away when he hurt Zamora. Birchall’s enthusiasm and aggression made for an exciting show but it also allowed the Nicaraguan to last longer than he should.

These days, Birchall is becoming as efficient as he is dangerous.

“That was only about a year ago but I've learned so much in that year. I understand the game a lot more. Why are you throwing these shots? Why are you doing this feint? Why are you touching down there?” he said.

“I'm getting better and better, and that's all that matters.

“I'd fight again tomorrow but I'm a fighter so if I didn't want to fight again tomorrow there'd be something wrong.

“I'd like to get out next time for an eight rounder or hopefully a title. I've only been six rounds once, but I know I'm more of a championship fighter than anything.”

Birchall is more than ready for a step up in competition but he believes that - for the time being at least - he is benefitting much more from the hours he spends in the gym than the minutes he spends in the ring.

He trains at the Rotunda Gym in Liverpool and spends his days training alongside world class fighters like Josh Taylor, Liam Smith and Jadier Herrera.

Birchall still only has 23 rounds of professional experience under his belt but is positive that watching how top level fighters go about their business and following their habits will ensure that he is fully prepared once his own title opportunity arrives.

“If I'm completely honest, I think you learn more from the rounds in the gym,” he said. “When you're with them sort of fighters like that [Areca], you don't learn an awful lot with them. You can only practice on them.

“And when you're practicing on them, that's when you are learning. For me, it’s more about getting the rounds in in the gym. I know I can do eight rounds, 10 rounds sparring easily. I think it's good to get the rounds in sometimes but at the same point, if I can get them out there, I'm taking them out there and I'm taking them out sharp.”