Ryan Garner moved a step closer to world honours at the home of his beloved Southampton FC, as he claimed the interim WBC super featherweight title with a wide points win against Michael Magnesi on the South Coast.
Garner started well, pinning Magnesi on the ropes in the opener.
He landed with an eye-catching hook in round two. Magnesi enjoyed a solid third though, as both men unloaded heavy shots.
Magnesi’s best round was the fourth, which he ended strongly, but Garner landed flush in the fifth, and continued to dominate at halfway.
Garner seemed unfazed and jumped straight back on the offensive, landing two flush shots on the Lazio-native in the fifth round.
Garner did slow down after the halfway mark, but found a second wind in the ninth, as he went on the attack and somehow the visitor managed to see out the round.
From there, the Italian was in survival mode, and he dourly made it to the final bell, where the result was in little doubt.
Scores of 119-109, 118-110 and 116-112 saw Garner take the title.
Brad Pauls vs Bradley Goldsmith
On the undercard, Brad Pauls (21-3-1, KO12) suffered an upset defeat, as he was dropped in the sixth round on the way to a ten-round points loss to Bradley Goldsmith (16-1, KO10).
Goldsmith took Pauls’ IBF International middleweight title by two scores of 99-90, and a third card at 97-92.
Remaining Undercard
Lewis Edmondson (12-1, KO3) scored a career-best win, as the light heavyweight took a ten round decision win against Lyndon Arthur (25-4, KO16).
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Scores of 97-93, 96-94 and 96-95 secured victory for local lad Edmondson.
The final ten-rounder saw Taylor Bevan (9-0, KO8) go the distance for the first time, as the super middleweight won via majority decision against Ryszard Lewicki (12-4-3, KO5).
Bevan took two tallies of 97-94, against a third card at 95-95.
In eight rounders, Lasha Guruli (4-0, KO1) got off the canvas in the final round to defeat Liam Dillon (16-6-1, KO3) by a single point at super lightweight, and cruiserweight hope Iman Zahmatkesh (6-0, KO4) took a 77-74 win against Franklin Arinze (10-2, KO7).
At super featherweight, Charlie Senior (5-0, KO2) was a 79-73 winner against Reuquen Cona Facundo Arce (18-23-2, KO7).
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In six-round contests, Mason Payne (6-0, KO2) won all available frames against Cheikh Diop (6-1, KO4) at super welterweight, and at super featherweight, Leighton Birchall (5-0, KO3) did the same against Cesar Ignacio Paredes (18-36-1, KO5).
Featherweight prospect William Birchall (5-0, KO5) won early again, this time a first-round stoppage of Miroslav Prochazka (8-18, KO6).
The sole four-rounder saw heavyweight Adam Olaniyan (2-0, KO2) a second round winner against Viktar Chvarkou (6-34, KO3).
