Lee Haskins retains IBF bantamweight title in Cardiff

Lee Haskins retained his IBF bantamweight title with a unanimous points victory over Ivan Morales in Cardiff.

The Bristol fighter (33-3-KO14) was dominant on the cards, reflecting his superiority from almost the first bell, and he eventually claimed victory 119-108 118-110 118-110.

Morales (29-2-KO17) pushed forward until the end of the 12th round but his lack of experience at the highest level told as Haskins, eight years his senior, overcame a height and reach disadvantage.

Haskins will now face mandatory challenger Stuart Hall within the next 90 days and promised to hand him "another lesson".

The 32-year-old, who claimed a unanimous points victory over Hall when they met for the vacant European bantamweight title in 2012, told Channel 5: "All I was thinking in the training for this fight - and I didn't want to look past it - was about Stuart Hall.

"He's the one I want, and I'm literally going to punch his face in. I beat him easy before and I'm going to beat him easy again, easier than the fight I've just had.

"He's been talking a lot online. I don't know what his problem is - whether I've got more hair than him.

"But if he wants another lesson I'm going to give it to him."

Haskins had Morales, younger brother of four-weight champion Erik, in trouble early on with a powerful right hand wobbling his opponent.

Morales was hurt in the fourth, suffering a nasty swelling under his right eye, and although he gamely continued to press forward it was Haskins whose work was more efficient.

He looked to tire a little after halfway and was dazed by a hard left from Haskins in the seventh as the champion continued to pile up the points.

The advantage continued to grow and Haskins was able to avoid a last-round push from Morales to make sure of a wide-margin victory.

Meanwhile, Andrew Selby continued his perfect start to his professional career by claiming the British flyweight title with a points victory over Louis Norman. 

Selby (5-0 KO3), the younger brother of IBF featherweight champion Lee, also became the fastest Welsh boxer in history to win a British title.