Sunday 26 February 2017 09:56, UK
Tommy Coyle kept alive his hopes of another British title shot with an explosive third round knockout victory over Rakeem Noble.
The Hull man unloaded a big right hand to stop Noble and make a winning return following his points defeat to British super-lightweight champion Tyrone Nurse last July.
Noble was drafted in as a replacement opponent, following the withdrawal of Kofi Yates, and made a confident start in the first round, stabbing out a busy jab, although Coyle gave a glimpse of his threat when he landed his potent right hand.
Coyle nearly ended the fight in the next as a left hook sent shockwaves through Noble's legs and the Londoner was spared by the bell, with the hometown man poised to pounce on his injured foe.
There would be no reprieve in the third round for Noble, who was dumped heavily on the canvas by Coyle's short right hand, and the referee waved it off when he rose on unsteady legs.
Earlier in the night, bantamweight Ryan Burnett cruised to his 16th straight victory against Mexican Joseafat Reyes.
After a couple of feeling out rounds, Burnett started to find a home for head and body shots in the third.
Reyes came on strong in the fourth, pinning Burnett in a neutral corner for much of the round, although the classy Belfast man was never in real trouble and seemed content to sit on the ropes, dipping and rolling off with his own quality shots.
The Mexican southpaw was bleeding heavily from the nose by the sixth and Burnett closed out a comfortable 79-73 points victory from referee Michael Alexander.
Lightweights James Carney and Carl Chadwick served up a terrific action-packed four-rounder on the busy undercard.
Carney got the nod over the Hull man with a narrow 39-38 points verdict after a hard-fought scrap, which saw the come-forward Chadwick cut on the left eye in the third as the better-schooled Carney picked him off on the way in.
Chadwick showed great determination from the first bell, but was outclassed throughout by the Liverpudlian.
