Soloman Dacres (7-0) successfully retained his English heavyweight title in a laboured showing against Michael Webster (9-0) despite suffering a point deduction in the final round of a scheduled ten rounds.
The ten-round affair was uninspiring despite the best efforts of Webster, who always pressed on the front foot, with Dacres happy to box on the back foot, happy to land single-scoring shots compared to Webster, who always attempted to throw punches in bunches.
Dacres would suffer the wrath of the referee in the final round, with a point deduction for the continued use of the forearm.
The contest, which went the full ten-round scheduled distance, was ultimately ruled a majority decision in favour of Dacres.
Dacres would earn score totals of 96-93 and 96-94 against one score of 95-95 even.
Liam Davies (14-0) and Vincenzo La Femina (13-0) would exchange knockdowns in an entertaining EBU title super-bantamweight affair following Dacares’s victory over Webster.
Liam Davies started the contest in fast fashion, targeting the body of La Femina and demonstrating a distinctive contrast in hand speed. Davies would land a single left hook, which would stiffen the legs of La Femina before following up with an unanswered five-punch combination in the centre ring. Davies would suffer a cut above his left eye courtesy of a straight right from La Femina late in the round.
The pair would exchange jabs early in the second before a long looping right hand from La Femina opened up the cut above Davies's eye sustained in the opener. La Femina would land a number of combinations and throw with Davies beating Davies to the punch on several occasions yet with little effect.
Davies would land three short, fast jabs to open the third frame and a straight right, halting the challenger in his tracks. Davies would repeat the straight right-hand late in the round, scoring a knockdown against La Femina. La Femina would return the favour to Davies in the very dying embers of the round, knocking Davies to the canvas from a right hook to the head followed by a left to the body.
Davies and La Femina would exchange combinations in the fourth, with Davies landing the more eye-catching of the pair, snapping La Femina's head back twice as La Femina shook his head at the champion. Davies would land a huge left hook on the bell, sending La Femina back to the canvas, undoing La Femina’s efforts in one fallen swoop.
The fifth was a more tame affair, with both fighters happy to exchange jabs till Davies closed the show with a straight right hand and followed up with an unanswered volley of shots with La Femina against the ropes.
La Femina, who was attempting to cover up unsuccessfully, was ultimately stopped by Davies after 2:50 of the fifth round of a scheduled twelve rounds to defend his EBU super-bantamweight title successfully.
