Buckland Becomes British Champ

Gary Buckland became Hatton Promotions latest champion taking the British super-featherweight title from Gary Sykes in an epic battle.

The sold out crowd at Ponds Forge Arena, Sheffield on Saturday night were treated to a thriller with Cardiff's Buckland winning a close decision.

All three judges awarded Buckland the verdict, scoring 116-113, 115-114 and 115-113 and there were few complaints.

Buckland had beaten the Dewsbury man in 45 seconds in a Prizefighter tournament last year, but predicted he would need something special to beat the defending champion over the 12 round championship distance.

Gary, 25, was even more motivated after his pal Lee Selby won the British featherweight title last week.

After his 24th win in 26 professional bouts Buckland said: "I'm happy. I've got this Lonsdale belt and it's just like winning a world title.

"I want to move on and go for the European title then hopefully we can clean things up.

"It was a totally different fight to Prizefighter. I had some good success early on, but Gary Sykes, fair play to him, he's as fit as a fiddle. But I just think I had his number."

In the chief support former European super-bantamweight champion and world title challenger Rendall Munroe outpointed Japan's Rhuta Miyagi 98-92 in a non-title ten rounder.

Munroe is mandatory contender for the European crown held by Kiko Martinez but promoter Ricky Hatton is eyeing a world title eliminator

Triple ABA champion Tommy Stubbs made a smooth transition into the pro game by pitching a 40-36 shutout over locally based Kuwaiti Anwar Alfadli.

The 21-year-old from Oldham switched southpaw several times against his tricky Ingle-stabled foe and flicked out crisp jabs and arching hooks.

In many ways Alfadli had a similar hands down style to Stubbs but the difference was that when the punches were flying it was the debutant's that were finding the target. Michael Alexander officiated.

Sheffield ticket seller Adam Etches had a tougher night than expected but still deservedly earned the fifth straight win of his fledgling career.

Nicknamed "The Bomber", Etches does exactly what it says on the proverbial tin. He threw caution to the wind and stemmed forward looking to blast opponent Yauheni Abdurazakau out in quick fashion.

But Belarussian had never previously been stopped and showed why by absorbing the punishment before giving Etches something to think about with weighty blows of his own.

By the third though Etches was looking to finish the job once more and on several occasions stunned Abdurazakau. The Belarusian was cleaver in his survival tactics though as he spat out his gumshield twice after being tagged. Funnily, the second time it happend Etches was so frustrated he flicked the mouthpiece up with his boot and then scissor kicked it out of the ring.

All in all it was a good learning fight for Etches. Mr Foster ruled it 40-36.

6ft 8ins heavyweight giant Richard Towers took his ledger to 12 - 0 (9 KOs) with a third round stoppage of previously unbeaten Yuti Bihoutseu.

Bihoutseu tried to burrow forwards in the early going but Towers' long tentacles kept him at bay.

Towers, another Brendan Ingle-trained boxer on the bill, stepped up his own attacks in round three and after sapping the energy of the Belarussian with body blows, another shot downstairs forced him to take a knee.

When the action resumed, Towers connected with more shots and Michael Alexander decided Bihoutseu had received enough. The time was 2.28.

Unbeaten Newport light-heavy Justyn Hugh suffered the first blemish on his record when he was held to a four-threes draw by Sheffield battler Carl 'Born 2 B' Wild.

It was a fight where neither man utilised the jab. Hugh ploughed in and threw plenty of big hooks to the Yorkshireman's head but had no plan B when that failed to make the desired dent.

Wild, as has often been the case in his career, looked like he could have boxed his way through the action, but instead elected to meet fire with fire and honours even at 38 points a piece was probably a fair result. Mr Foster adjudicated.

"Smokin" Jez Wilson quickly forgot about the disappointment of not meeting touted Welshman Tom Doran by blasting out Jay Morris in just one minute and 50 seconds.

Wilson, now 8 - 1 - 1 (5 KOs), is arguably he's own of the most unlucky men on the circuit as each time he's had a big fight lined up things have fallen apart through no fault of his own.

Local lightweight prospect Scott Jenkins doubled his winning tally when opponent Steve Gethin retired at the end of the second round. It was scheduled for four-threes.