Tuesday 3 October 2017 10:23, UK
Sean Dodd won the local bragging rights after claiming a unanimous points decision over Tom Stalker in an entertaining affair at Liverpool's Echo Arena.
It was dubbed as the battle between Birkenhead and neighbouring Liverpool and it was the Birkenhead fighter and Commonwealth lightweight champion Dodd who prevailed after twelve rounds of action.
'Masher' out-hustled and out-gunned Stalker for large parts of the contest and eventually got the verdict via three scores of 118-111.
The pair started the contest evenly matched, using the first two rounds to work out their opponent, both having moments of success.
Despite Dodd pouring forward, attempting to make it a gruelling toe-to-toe scrap, Stalker perhaps got on top first, proving his boxing credentials as he quickly moved in and out of range on the backfoot, zipping in some sharp jabs.
That though was perhaps the end of Stalker being on top in this contest as in the third, 'Masher' bludgeoned his way forward and hammered home a huge right hand before body shots and sharp uppercuts in the next continued to turn the momentum.
'Masher' though was also displaying boxing credentials, showing that there is more to him than just being a come-forward brawler, in the sixth showing good head movement to slip shots and find a home for his own hooks and jabs.
From then on, the tone was set and Dodd, 33, showed no signs of tiring as he continued to get the better of each round, before the Birkenhead man finished with a fiery flurry late on in the fight to confirm that he would be returning home with his title around his waist.
Speaking after the fight, 'Masher' said: "I am living the dream! I am so happy to be here at the Echo Arena and on Sky Sports.
"All I envisaged was coming for an interview after this with a smile on my face - with Tom next to me looking sad.
"I out-boxed him and out-foxed him and dug deep when I had to."
