Flintoff wins maiden fight

The Daily Telegraph's boxing correspondent Gareth A. Davies said Andrew Flintoff "looked like a complete, very raw novice, which is exactly what he is. A guy who's got a professional licence after only five months in the gym and no experience whatsoever of any boxing prior to that".

Freddie Flintoff has admitted his debut bout "wasn't one for the purists."

He said he was momentarily confused when, after being knocked to the floor, the referee asked him his name.

And after nearly five months of training, the former England cricket captain said he was looking forward to "such a good Christmas," but said he wouldn't make a decision on a future in boxing until 2013.

Andrew Flintoff's former England captain Michael Vaughan - who is trying his own hand at a different physical test on the Strictly dance floor - has led Twitter praise of his old teammate.

Former England batsman Adam Hollioake, who entered the worlds of professional boxing and mixed martial arts after his cricket career ended, singled out Flintoff's strength in fighting back to claim victory.

While celebrity Flintoff fans also weighed in with their own compliments:

Andrew Flintoff has described his first boxing fight as an "out of body experience" after beginning his professional career with a win.

Sporting several bruises from his encounter with Richard Dawson, he told reporters: