Sunday 6 September 2015 09:25, UK
Josh Warrington retained his Commonwealth featherweight title with a masterful points victory over Joel Brunker.
The Leeds man rarely wasted a punch during his unanimous decision victory, with all three judges handing him shutout scores of 120-108 in front of his delighted home fans at the First Direct Arena.
During an explosive opener, Brunker marched straight for the local man and the pair exchanged crisp hooks. Warrington refused to let Brunker gain an early foothold and answered with fierce rights to head and body.
Both fighters continued to battle for the centre of the ring in the second and Warrington briefly forced Brunker on the back foot with a ferocious flurry of punches. The Aussie continued to chug forward, but was walking into sharp counters.
Again Warrington produced the cleaner work in the third as he unloaded his razor sharp rights and stinging jabs.
The champion displayed his fleet-footed movement in the fourth as he skipped neatly out of range after digging in hurtful body shots.
A nasty head clash left Brunker with a cut on his scalp and Warrington attacked his bloodied opponent in the sixth, sinking more spiteful punches into his ribs.
Brunker looked increasingly forlorn as he was tagged by a torrent of punches and his head was jolted back by a string of jabs in the eighth.
Referee Victor Loughlin was keeping a close eye on the outclassed challenger and Warrington rammed another crisp combination through his defences in the 10th.
Searching for the stoppage, Warrington stepped up his assault in the 11th, and Brunker grimly withstood even more punches.
The final bell brought an end to the one-sided contest and the unbeaten Warrington could savour his 22nd victory.
