Scott Cardle wins British lightweight title by defeating Craig Evans on points
Saturday 30 May 2015 20:33, UK
Scott Cardle won the British lightweight title with a unanimous points decision victory over Craig Evans.
After a scrappy and at times bad-tempered bout, all three judges scored the fight 116-112 in the Lancashire man’s favour, improving his record to 18-0 and handing Evans (14-1) the first defeat of his career.
There had been plenty of spice in the build-up, with the pair clashing at the weigh-in, and Cardle started at a rapid pace, keen to impose himself on his Welsh opponent.
Southpaw Evans was cut early but continued to showboat, drawing more aggression from Cardle, who had his man pinned to the ropes at the end of the third after picking him up, to the crowds' amusment, midway through the session.
A low blow from Cardle in the fifth earned him a warning from referee Michael Alexander before Evans found his range in the sixth, landing a sharp straight left off the back foot to stop the Englishman in his tracks.
However, as the pair came together once again, heads clashed and Evans was cut above the right eye.
After a ferocious start, round seven saw the pace slow but Cardle landed a smart right to Evans’ chin.
Evans had the better of the eighth, landing left, right, left in quick succession, before an accidental elbow cut Cardle above his left eye.
With both men tiring, Evans began to have success in the ninth, knocking Cardle off balance before smartly evading a wild charge forward from his opponent.
But neither man landed telling blows in the next two and began the final round swinging in the centre of the ring, desperate to edge what appeared to be a close contest, before a straight left from Cardle rocked Evans’ head back.
Evans celebrated at the bell but it was Cardle declared the winner – although by perhaps a slightly wider margin than expected.
