Dean Francis stopped Tony Oakey in the ninth round to add the British light-heavyweight title to his Commonwealth belt.
Oakey stopped for the first time
Dean Francis added the British title to his Commonwealth light-heavyweight belt with a dramatic stoppage of Tony Oakey at the Mountbatten Centre in Portsmouth.
The former British super-middleweight champion was under the cosh throughout a bruising contest that Oakey appeared to be getting the better of until a left hook in the ninth round scrambled the latter's senses.
Oakey made the count but was clearly shaken and Francis finished the job in clinical fashion as referee Richie Davies stepped in to prevent the out-going British champ from further punishment.
Veteran Francis started brightly, opening a cut on his opponent in the opening session, but Oakey maintain a fast pace and had his 34-year-old opponent in trouble on several occasions.
Francis went into the fight with question marks over his fitness following three shoulder operations in a stop-start career, but his heart for the job was clearly evident as he walked through some big shots.
But Oakey's vocal support were clearly lifting the 32-year-old, who landed at will with the right hand marking Francis above the left eye and across the nose.
But it was the older man who found the killer shot, a right hand setting up the short left that had Oakey on his pants.
Francis could taste victory and landed several heavy shots without reply before the fight was mercifully brought to a halt.
"I'm a Spartan, a warrior. That's what it's all about, having the heart," he told Sky Sports.
"Even when you feel like you're getting hurt, wipe it out your mind. It's mind over matter."
