Liam Smith drops Anthony Fowler twice, wins Battle of Liverpool by stoppage

The word ‘stacked’ gets used far too often, usually by promoters, when describing boxing shows, but tonight’s event at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena lived up to the label, both on paper and, most importantly, in the ring. The Matchroom/DAZN card was headlined by a domestic derby with global implications, as former WBO super-welterweight champion Liam Smith took on fellow Liverpudlian Anthony Fowler, who was looking for a way in to that kind of level. No significant belts were on the line, but a bright future in the sport, not to mention local pride were sufficiently high stakes.

Fowler came out confidently and dictated the opener with his excellent jab and a number of right hands, one of which caused a cut around “Beefy’s” left eye. The second was closer, Smith closing the gap and landing some notable left hooks. Fowler, however, appeared to hurt Smith in the third with a right-left.

Smith rebounded well in round four, expertly cutting off the ring and evening the score regarding cuts, inflicting one on Fowler in the same area as his own. Fowler was getting ushed back and forced to fight at a pace with which he was less comfortable than his opponent. Smith continued his advance in the fifth, dropping Fowler with a counter right hand and pursuing his ragged rival all around the ring. Fowler recovered in the next, using lateral movement and trying to re-establish the jab. I had it level at this point but the momentum seemed clearly with the veteran.

I gave Smith round seven as he slipped his way in and unloaded, but Fowler seemed weary and his work rate had diminished. This proved pivotal in the next as Fowler ceded ground and Smith ravenously took it, landing a right hand followed by a triple left hook – two to the body, one to the head – to drop a worn-down “Machine” heavily. He bravely rose at ‘eight’ but the referee had, quite rightly, seen enough.

Fowler can come again but this proved a bridge too far against a seasoned man with plenty left in the tank.

British super-welterweight champion Ted Cheeseman has rarely had it easy. Aged just 26, the combative boxer-puncher has been in with most of the better domestic 154lbers and, in 20 bouts, had only lost to Scott Fitzgerald, contentiously, and suffered a clear drubbing from then-European king Sergio Garcia, albeit when he was in the throws of a gambling addiction (now thankfully in recovery).

Having outlasted Commonwealth king JJ Metcalf to begin his second reign last time out, he was immediately presented with unbeaten power puncher Troy Williamson as his mandatory challenger. The latter, a longtime GB amateur rep, was untested at this level but rose to the occasion, as the pair combined to produce an exciting, absorbing war, a candidate for British Fight of the Year.

The contest, scheduled for 12 rounds, swayed one way then the other after a competitive first three sessions. Cheeseman was cut around the left eye in round five, in trouble at the end of the next, but roared back to have Wiliamson all at sea at the end of the seventh. Ted enjoyed a dominant eighth but then found himself pinned back in the next, taking more heavy blows. Troy made the most of his second wind, pushing Cheeseman back to the ropes in round 10, getting the better of their exchange then finishing it off with a monstrous left hook, dropping a tiring Cheeseman and prompting an immediate stoppage from the referee.

Ahead of the only world title fight on the bill, Shannon Courtenay had already lost her WBA bantam strap on the scales, blaming an earlier than expected menstrual cycle for coming in 2.5lbs overweight. The belt would become vacant if she defeated unbeaten American Jamie Mitchell over 10-twos, but could still be won by the challenger.

Mitchell, ‘The Miracle’, took control from the start, outboxing and outworking Courtenay and then withstanding the gutsy Brit’s late charge. She took a deserved majority decision, 97-93 and 96-94 against an absurd 95-95.

Former Commonwealth super-welterweight champion JJ Metcalf was narrowly beaten over 10 rounds by Kieron Conway in a match between quality domestic fighters each coming off a defeat. Conway, who was last time edged out by Olympic medallist Souleymane Cissokho, enjoyed height, reach and speed advantages, while the more rugged Metcalf, son of the legendary Shea Neary and returning from an 11th-round stoppage to Cheeseman, was unable for the first half to make his perceived better power and body-punching tell. He came on strong in the last three rounds but it was too late against the sharp, mobile Conway, who triumphed 96-94 and 96-95 twice.