Sunday 23 October 2016 09:31, UK
Sam Eggington earned a thrilling victory over Frankie Gavin to win the battle of Birmingham on Saturday.
Despite Gavin coming in overweight, he put it all on the line and together with Eggington, produced a sensational fight in the Barclaycard Arena.
The two welterweights met fire with fire, but it was Gavin who, after being knocked down twice, was stopped in the eighth as Eggington claimed the WBC International title.
The fight started very cagily as both Birmingham fighters eased their way into proceedings, Eggington walking down his opponent, wary of any counters coming back, while Gavin looked to get his technical boxing going.
Despite the slow start, the fight quickly caught fire in the third as Eggington caught 'Funtime' square and floored him with a short right hook.
Gavin, clearly frustrated with the knockdown, got up and fired back as both men traded spiteful punches in a gruelling and very entertaining round. Gavin perhaps even got the better of the stanza as he stood his ground and landed a flurry of punishing body shots.
The fight settled down slightly in the fourth as Gavin, after some serious words from the corner, worked behind and landed a stiff right jab as he began to take control of proceedings.
Gavin only grew in confidence in the fifth as a left and right combination rocked the head of Eggington, before a sharp right screwed uppercut landed cleanly.
Despite 'Savage' starting to look bereft of ideas, he backed Gavin against the ropes towards the end of the round and landed a flurry of hooks and the onslaught continued into the sixth as Gavin, planted on the ropes, had no reply to the brutal attacks coming his way.
In a sensational round of action, Gavin came out firing and went toe-to-toe in the centre of the ring, before Eggington pushed him back as a shootout ensued.
The referee judged that the ropes kept Gavin standing and gave him another count of eight and again 'Funtime' regrouped, marched forward and landed a brutal barrage of punches to finish a thrilling round.
The welterweights showed no signs of slowing as the pace and action remained frenetic and in the eighth, 'Savage' relentlessly unloaded on Gavin, who now had nothing left in the tank, and eventually the referee jumped in as Gavin's legs sunk to the canvas.
Following the fight, Eggington said to Sky Sports: "I want to give props to Frankie because I didn't think he had it in him."
Meanwhile a distraught Gavin said: "I didn't realise how big he was. I want to do it again! I showed people I'm not just a little boxer who runs off, I showed I can have a fight."
