Billy Joe Saunders was crowned WBO World Middleweight Champion after outpointing Andy Lee last night at the Manchester Arena.
He became the twelfth and latest British World Champion winning on a majority decision with scores of 115-111, 114-11 and 113-113.
The Hatfield Star dropped Lee twice in third round, but went on to out-think and out-box the Limerick puncher for the remainder of the fight.
Saunders, a 2008 Olympian and a former British, Commonwealth and European Middleweight Champion, said, “I can’t believe that I’m finally world champion. It’s been my destiny to win a world title and I always knew that I would do it, but it’s unreal that I finally done it. Andy Lee has my full respect, he a true fighting man and the better man won, I know he will come again, he must be disappointed losing his world title, but he’ll come again. He was a hard man and I thought I had him in the third round, but he showed what a tough man he is and made me rethink my plans, but it showed I can adapt at world level. I’m having a good rest over Christmas with my kids who I haven’t seen over the last six weeks and then I’m ready to look forward to a big 2016 and I’ll fight anybody out there. I’d like to thank my promoter Frank Warren who has been with me since day one and delivered everything he said he would. Also a big thanks to my trainer Jimmy Tibbs and his son Mark who have been with me since the beginning and for this fight we’ve been together for 24/7 for six weeks and they have put me through hell, but I know everything they did was for my good.”
In the joint top of the bill, Liam Smith successfully defended his WBO World Super-Welterweight title for the first time against Jimmy Kelly.
In the first Manchester v Liverpool world title showdown in over 80 years, Smith blasted out his unbeaten rival with a seventh round stoppage.
The unbeaten Liverpool ace broke down Kelly with powerful body shots and showed his power and accuracy.
He put together some hard, close, combination punching that sapped Kelly’s strength and resolve. In the sixth with Kelly getting desperate, he launched a head butt on Smith and was deducted two points.
In the next round the referee called a halt when Kelly’s trainer Ensley Bingham waved the towel signalling his man had had enough.
A delighted Smith said afterwards, “Kelly put up a tough challenge, but I knew that I was levels above him. I was comfortable in there and I started breaking him down from the beginning and I knew I was hurting him when I was landing the body shots. He was a hard man and was hanging in there and I said to his corner to pull their man out. They did in the seventh, I’m sure Kelly can build himself back up again. As for me, I’d love a unification fight in 2016, I know there are big fights on the horizon and I can’t wait.”
FULL RESULTS FROM THE MANCHESTER ARENA
6 X 3 Minute Rounds Super-Welterweight Contest
JOE SELKIRK WKO1 (2:20) ZOLTAN TURAI
4 X 3 Minute Rounds Light-Heavyweight Contest
ANTHONY YARDE WKO1 (1:35) CURTIS GARGANO
4 X 3 Minute Rounds International Super-Bantamweight Contest
RAZZA HAMZA WTKO1 (0:25) MICHAEL STUPART
4 X 3 Minute Rounds Super-Middleweight Contest
DALE COYNE WPTS4 (40-36) JAMIE AMBLER
6 X 3 Minute Rounds International Middleweight Contest
VIJENDER SINGH WTKO2 (0:35) SAMET HYUSEINOV
THE VACANT WBO EUROPEAN LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
10 X 3 Minute Rounds
TOM STALKER MAJORITY DRAW (94-96 Evans, 95-95, 95-95) CRAIG EVANS
THE COMMONWEALTH AND VACANT BRITISH SUPER-WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
12 X 3 Minute Rounds
LIAM WILLIAMS WTKO2 (0:10) KRIS CARSLAW
THE VACANT WBO EUROPEAN SUPER-FLYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
10 X 3 Minute Rounds
PAUL BUTLER WTKO6 (2:45) SILVIO OLTEANU
THE WBO INTERCONTINENTAL SUPER-LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
10 X 3 Minute Rounds
JACK CATTERALL WTKO3 (2:38) NOE NUNEZ RODRIGUEZ
THE WBO INTERCONTINENTAL SUPER-FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
10 X 3 Minute Rounds
MITCHELL SMITH LPTS10 (94-98, 94-96, 93-97) GEORGE JUPP
THE WBO WORLD SUPER-WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
12 X 3 Minute Rounds
LIAM SMITH WTKO7 (2:35) JIMMY KELLY
THE WBO MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE WORLD
12 X 3 Minute Rounds
BILLY JOE SAUNDERS WPTS12 (112-114, 111-115, 113-113) ANDY LEE
THE WBO INTERCONTINENTAL MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
10 X 3 Minute Rounds @ 160 lbs
TOMMY LANGFORD WTKO5 (0:39) ROBERT SWEIRZBINSKI
4 X 3 Minute Middleweight Rounds Contest
JACK FLATTLEY WPTS4 (40-37) DAN BLACKWELL