Kenny Anderson won the vacant British super-middleweight title
and effectively sent Robin Reid into retirement in a fight which
started at snails' pace and then suddenly burst into life.
The Scotsman, 29, had been waiting for a shot at the domestic
crown ever since his 2010 challenge against George Groves.
And two years of frustration and constant training looked like
it might have taken its toll on him in the first three sessions as
Reid, at 41 years of age, dictated the pace and landed the better
shots.
The first round contained little action, with the only real
talking point coming when Anderson grappled Reid to the canvas and
the back of the veteran's head thudded off the canvas.
Reid, the former WBC champion, worked a clever tactic of
punching to the body and then looking to hook over the top, while
Anderson's punches were slow and off target in the main.
But as the fight went on, Reid's shots started to drift south
and after landed below the belt line at least five times, referee
Ian John Lewis decided to take off a point.
The fight begun to turn in the Scotsman's favour close to the
end of the fourth when he detonated a right hand to the torso and
then one to the head.
And a remarkable turnaround was completed a session later. A
hard uppercut forced Reid to take a knee and after rising at
"eight", Anderson followed up with a string of flush punches which
brought about the referee's intervention.
Anderson is likely to make his first defence against former
holder Paul Smith.
On the same card, 2008 Olympic Kal Yafai made short work of
Halifax southpaw Scott Gladwin.
The Birmingham prospect floored Gladwin three times with body
shots in the opening round before finishing with more shots
downstairs a session later.
20/10/2012 21:04:33