Tanner Tomlinson isn't just a warrior on the ice.

The Sarnia Legionnaires Jr. 'B' hockey enforcer proved that Saturday, scoring a stunning victory in his first-ever boxing match.

Tomlinson, a light heavyweight, knocked out veteran pugilist Lenny Cochrane just 25 seconds into their bout.

Going into the match, the 29-year-old Cochrane had three fights to his credit. But Tomlinson was not intimidated, saying in a pre-fight interview he would try to win by a knockout in the first round.

Former Canadian boxing champion Tim Taylor, who trains Tomlinson, said, “the guy had experience on Tanner, but Tanner has power. He came out swinging and hit him with his right hand. He was on the floor for about five minutes, they wouldn't let him get up.”

Taylor said Tomlinson, who is just 19, showed no fear. “Tanner sized him up and thought 'this guy isn't going to hurt me.'”

Taylor believes Tomlinson's new-found boxing career will help make him a better hockey player. “He's a pretty aggressive guy (on the ice) but he's got to control his anger,” he said. “This will help him.”

Legionnaire coach Jeff Perry has also expressed confidence that boxing will help Tomlinson, who is a Sarnia native. Boxers, Perry noted, are superbly conditioned athletes.

Tomlinson, a centre, picked up 150 penalty minutes last season, which made him the third most penalized Legionnaire. But Taylor says it would be a mistake to think of him as simply an enforcer. “He can skate and he's got a heck of a shot.”

In fact, Tomlinson scored 14 goals and picked up 19 assists last winter, giving him 33 points in the 39 games he played for the Legionnaires. In the playoffs, he appeared in five games, registering one goal and three assists.

Taylor plans to enter Tomlinson, who fights out of the River City Boxing Club, in a Golden Gloves tournament in London next month.