MTK promoted their first UK show of 2021, and it was a card stacked full of talent. Topping the bill at Bolton Whites Hotel was a Commonwealth Lightweight title clash and Gavin Gwynne took the vacant belt with an absorbing seventh round stoppage of the previously unbeaten Sean McComb.
McComb (11-1, 5 KOs) was moving down from Super Lightweight, and began as favourite, but Gwynne (13-2, 2 KOs) had twice challenged for the British title previously, losing in good company to Joe Cordina and James Tennyson.
It was a frenetic start, with both men eager to test one another’s chins in the first frame, and it was McComb’s boxing skills that were trumping Gwynne’s come forward attacks, although the Irishman was cut above his right eye.
Gwynne appeared to hurt the Irishman to the body in the second, but didn’t follow up on the success.
The Welshman was growing in confidence, and had also bloodied McComb’s nose as he enjoyed a solid third. McComb, to his credit, put together some good boxing to regain a foothold in the contest, but Gwynne wasn’t giving him a moments peace, constantly coming forward.
The pair were clashing heads at close quarters, and Gwynne somehow suffered a nasty looking cut to the back of his head in the fifth, caused by a stray McComb elbow. Both me came out swinging to begin the sixth, and it was a pretty even session, but the pace was appearing to take its toll on the 28-year-old, who looked tired as he trudged back to his corner at the end of the round.
The writing had been put on the wall, but the ending came in bizarre fashion. With just under a minute to go in round seven, Gwynne cranked up the pressure, and McComb elected to turn his back on his opponent, giving the referee no option but to stop the fight.
Elsewhere, Samuel Antwi claimed the vacant English Welterweight title with a dominant sixth round stoppage of Darren ‘TNT’ Tetley.
Tetley (20-2, 9 KOs) showed a weakness to the body in his last outing, a defeat to Liam Taylor where he was floored twice, and a left hand to the body from Antwi (13-1, 6 KOs) dropped the Bradford man in the dying embers of the opener.
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Tetley’s left eye began to close from the fifth, and just a round later, after an accumulation of Antwi punches followed by a body shot felled the 27-year-old again.
He survived the count, and was then stopped on his feet from a single power right hand, but it looked like a good decision from referee Michael Alexander, as Tetley had to rest on his stool for some time post-fight.
Danny Carr retained his Southern Area Super Featherweight title, with a controlled points win over Dean Dodge.
Carr (12-0-1, 4 KOs) controlled the first half of the fight, with Dodge (9-1-1, 3 KOs) guilty of not pulling the trigger when he had his opponent where he wanted him.
The challenger did get closer in range and enjoyed some good rounds down the stretch, but Carr ultimately had a little to much for him, and picked up a 97-93 win for referee Howard Foster.
Paddy Donovan chalked up an impressive win in only his sixth fight, forcing the experienced Siar Ozgul to retire at the end of four rounds, after suffering severe facial damage, especially to his nose, as the Irishman dominated their Welterweight affair.
It took only a minute into the second round for Mark McKeown (4-0, 2 KOs) to win the battle of the unbeatens, as he scored a stunning knockout win over Brad Daws.
A massive overhand right dropped Daws (6-1, 2 KOs), and although he survived the count, a follow-up attack ending with another power right hand put the 24-year-old out for good, with the count wisely dispensed with.
Pierce O’Leary remained unbeaten, and showed great punch variety in an impressive six round points win at Welterweight against the brave Irvin Magno (5-4-1, 1 KO).
A 59-55 referee’s scorecard ensured the Dubliner moved to 6-0 (2 KOs).
Jamie Stewart (2-1-1), who beat Michael Hennessy Jr, and held Florian Marku to a draw at the back end of 2020, couldn’t carry on his giant killing antics, as Elliot Whale (4-0, 1 KO) took a comfortable points win in their Welterweight six rounder. A 59-55 verdict reflected Whale’s dominance.
The show opener came at Middleweight, where Peterborough’s Mohammed Sameer (2-0, 1 KO) made it two wins from two outings with a routine 40-36 points win over Kearon Thomas (1-10-1, 1 KO).
