Saturday 16 July 2016 20:46, UK
Bradley Skeete produced a seventh-round stoppage of Alexandre Lepelley in Cardiff to retain the WBO European welterweight title.
The Londoner (24-1-KO11) was in typically patient form but pounced on his chance to end the contest having initially felled the Frenchman with a shot that may have strayed low.
Lepelley, who took Ricky Burns the full eight rounds in October 2014, had not come to lie down but his enthusiastic work early only played into the hands of the slicker Skeete; the champion picking his shots cleverly and escaping nimbly.
By the middle rounds, the challenger was tiring and quite suddenly in the seventh, Skeete produced a heavy right hand to stagger Lepelley. One clipping left hook and the controversial shot later, the visitor was on the canvas with his corner complaining.
Skeete seized on what may have been a moment of fortune and was surgical in the finish - landing cleanly and crisply with a combination that prompted the referee to intervene.
The stage was then taken by Birmingham-based middleweight hope Tommy Langford (17-0-KO6), and he produced some accurate work to grind down Timo Laine over the course of seven one-sided rounds.
The Finnish visitor was always on the back foot and soaked up some heavy work from Langford, who has been chasing a clash with sparring partner Chris Eubank Jr, and it took a sustained assault of countless unanswered shots to finally prompt the referee to call it off.
Earlier on, Commonwealth super-flyweight champion Jamie Conlan (17-0-KO11) enjoyed a rare routine night as he dispatched Patrik Bartos in two, and super-welterweight prospect Joe Pigford (11-0-KO10) took less than four to halt Sam Omidi.
Over in New Delhi, India, Vijender Singh stretched his professional record to 7-0-KO6 by outpointing veteran Kerry Hope; claiming the WBO Asia-Pacific super-middleweight crown in the process.
