Jay Harris overwhelmed Paddy Barnes in the fourth round to pick up the IBF International Flyweight Title in the main event as MTK Fight Night hit Belfast at the Ulster Hall.
Barnes, a former world title challenger started well, but his progress was checked by a right hand from Harris that seemed to stop the Irishman in his tracks.
Another right hand wobbled Barnes, who responded by throwing a flurry of lefts and rights to keep the Welshman at bay. Harris was physically much bigger than his foe, and every time a Harris shot landed, it troubled the two-time Olympic Bronze Medallist.
Barnes was letting his hands go, but to little effect with Harris, the European champion simply biding his time to end the fight as he landed two more meaty rights at the end of round two.
Barnes gave it a real go in the third in a round of the year contender, catching Harris flush with multiple shots, and cutting the Swansea man over the left eye, but Harris responded in kind with a crunching left hook to the body that dropped Barnes, who bravely beat the count.
The right hands of Harris proved far too much for his gutsy opponent and the fourth saw the 29-year-old, repeatedly snap Barnes’ head back with power rights.
A much more powerful body shot than the first, this time with a right hand, crumpled Barnes, who never looked likely to beat the count, which he duly didn’t.
Barnes slips to 6-3 as a result of his loss, and will surely contemplate a move to Light Flyweight or retirement next.
Chief support came in the shape of a Super Lightweight eight rounder, where former Norther Ireland Amateur Captain, Sean McComb suffered a mini crisis before extending his unbeaten record with a hard earned points win against the tough South American, Emiliano Dominguez Rodriguez.
“Public Nuisance” McComb began brightly, picking the Argentine off as Rodriguez rushed in with abandonment. Towards the end of the opener, McComb buzzed the visitor with a quick combination, but managed to finish the session with nicks over both eyes.
The action became messy in the third and beginning of the fourth, but the visitor silenced the crowd whipping in a body shot out of pretty much nothing, that dropped McComb to the canvas. To McComb’s credit, he rode out the storm to survive the count and come through the round.
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The fifth became a fire fight, with both men not giving an inch in toe-to-toe action, with Rodriguez landing another body shot, but McComb dug in and got back to his boxing skills. “Sugar” Sean was made to keep working by his opponent, as he continued to box and move through the sixth and seventh frames. Rodriguez was still ambitious, but with limited success.
McComb sensibly stayed out of harms way in the last as both men fatigued, and the final bell was tolled in what was an absorbing affair.
Referee Hugh Russell Junior adjudged McComb a worthy 79-73 winner.
