Walsh defends title

Liam Walsh defended his Commonwealth super-featherweight title with a 10th-round stoppage win over Jon Kays.

Kays stopped in 10th round of Commonwealth showdown

Liam Walsh defended his Commonwealth super-featherweight title with a 10th-round stoppage win over Jon Kays. Walsh looked to be heading for an early finish when he floored Kays in the fourth round, but the challenger fought back bravely and troubled the highly rated 24-year-old until he responded with a bout ending body shot. Kays tried to establish his stiff jab in the opening round, but Walsh soon exploded into life and briefly stunned his opponent with a crisp left hook. The Lancashire man quickly regained his composure and landed some sharp combinations in the second, while a head clash left Walsh with a nasty cut in the third. But Walsh uncorked another big left hook in the fourth which had Kays on unsteady legs before a barrage of punches deposited him on the canvas. The 27-year-old seemed to shrug off the affects of this knockdown as he stubbornly fired back, and even rocked Walsh with an overhand right in the eighth, but the Norfolk fighter showed his class in the ninth by picking off his man with precise punches. This would be a glimpse of what was to follow as Walsh stunned Kays with a hook before two crunching body shots sent him down for the count.