By Wayne Bartlett: Paul Smith fought through a mask of blood for twelve rounds tonight to retain his British super middleweight title via a well deserved unanimous points decision over fierce rival Tony Dodson.
The continual flow of blood covering the champions face came from cuts to the forehead and just above the left eye and was caused by some damaging clashes of heads in the opening rounds.
Despite terrific work in the corner by famed cut-man Mick Williamson, the threat of an early stoppage to the fight proved enough to spur on the now 29-1(15) Smith to a come forward aggressive approach that clearly knocked the challenger out of his stride.
Two years senior to his man at 29, Dodson, now 24-6(12), did have his moments throughout the contest, in particular a beautifully placed right uppercut in round six that halted the oncoming Smith dead in his tracks. But there just wasn’t enough forthcoming from the challenger on the night whose continual holding under pressure was eventually punished in round ten with a point deduction.
A war of words in the build up to the fight adding even more fuel to a fire of two Liverpudlian’s contesting a British title in Liverpool at this the Echo Arena - judges scorecards of 116-111, 115-112 and 117-112 saw to it that Paul Smith remained British champion after what proved to be a real blood and guts final round.
By the fight’s end if you’d took a look at the blood soaked sleeves and front of the referee’s shirt you’d have been forgiven for thinking he’d just finished a shift in the local abattoir rather than refereeing a boxing match.
Elsewhere on the Liverpool bill saw potential world class firecracker Kell Brook extend his perfect record to 21-0(14) after a six round domination of the experienced Krzysztof Bienias.
From the opening bell Brook was a different class. Bashing up his Polish adversary from start to finish the only surprise was that it lasted as long as the sixth where an accumulation of damaging shots to the wobbled Bienias forced the referee’s intervention.
The win claiming Brook the WBO intercontinental welterweight crown appearing to be yet another meaningless strap. On further inspection it also installs the Sheffield star as the mandatory challenger to one Manny Pacquiao.
Whether Pacquiao - who takes on Joshua Clottey in Texas tommorow night - ever faces the 23 switch hitter stylist is doubtful. But one thing that does appear more certain is that Kell Brook is destined to be a world champion. The kid is class.
Other results
WBO Inter-continental welterweight title Kell Brook w tko 6 Krzysztof Bienias
British super middleweight title Paul Smith w pta 12 Tony Dodson
vacant Commonwealth light heavyweight title Tony Bellew w tko 1 Atoli Moore
featherweight Stephen Smith w tko 1 Jason Thomas
cruiserweight Enzo Maccarinelli w tko 1 Zoltan Czekus
junior middleweight Thomas Costello drew 6 Lee Noble
welterweight Liam Smith w pts 4 Billy Smith
welterweight Ronnie Heffron w rtd 2 Karl Taylor
super middleweight Tobias Webb srew 4 Lee Duncan
welterweight John Thain w pts 4 Kevin McCauley
Subscribe to feed
