Boxing
McBride wins 30th career fight

10.08 - BROCKTON -- The 30th win of Kevin McBride's career was supposed to be one of his toughest. It did not live up to that billing.

It took longer to sing the national anthem than it took for McBride, the IBC and Irish heavyweight champion to dispose of Lenzie Morgan. McBride knocked Morgan out at 2:58 of the first round in the headline bout of the fourth Mohegan Sun FightNight New England in 2003. Other winners on the Saturday night fight card at the Brockton Fairgrounds included Brockton middleweights Ian Gardner and Willie Gibbs, Randolph heavyweight Billy Mofford middleweight Mike Culbert and heavyweight James Clancy.

This was called a pivotal fight for McBride as Morgan despite his .500 record had fought well against some of the division's better fighters. Morgan proved to be no match for McBride who used his size (6-5, 255 pounds) to get Morgan into a corner and never let him out. McBride unloaded a series of combinations and Morgan went down with less than 10 seconds left in the round and was out for the count at 2:58 of the first round.

Gibbs improved to 15-0 with the most impressive win of his career as he knocked out Texas middleweight champion Chance Leggett. The Texas-based Leggett came in with a 7-1 record but in the seventh round he didn't see a right hook thrown by Gibbs. Leggett never recovered as Gibbs recorded the 12th knockout of his career.

Gardner was not on top of his game but had more than enough to win a decision from journeyman Dave Hadden. The crowd was not pleased with the first two rounds of this fight as neither fighter offered much of an attack. Gardner changed the course of the fight in the fourth when Hadden went to the canvas hard after a slip. Gardner saw his opportunity to change the momentum and although he did not get the knockout he did seize control in that round. Gardner was in control for the rest of the fight.

Culbert won the rematch that was almost six years in the making as he beat Dave Hamilton in an unanimous decision. It was a typical Mike Culbert fight as the former Massachusetts and New England champion used his experience and know-how to beat his long-time rival. Culbert got stronger as the night went on as he opened the fourth with an excellent combination. Culbert overcame a cut over his left eye in the fifth to win on all three scorecards.

The most entertaining bout of the night was the heavyweight battle between Mofford and Brockton's Dan Sheehan. Mofford came into the fight with a 5-1 record but it was Sheehan who came out with his fists flying, catching Mofford by surprise. Mofford recovered and took control of the fight in the middle rounds although Sheehan had a few roundhouse rights left but Mofford withstood the flurry.

Clancy improved to 2-0 as a professional with a unanimous decision of veteran Willie Kemp. Clancy was clearly the aggressor and had Kemp in the corner for most of the second round pelting him with a variety of combinations.

Jimmy LeBlanc of South Boston saw his losing streak continue as he lost his third straight bout, this one to Marcus Luck. It was a mainly uneventful fight as Luck was very methodical. LeBlanc staged a late comeback but Luck won the sixth round on all three scorecards to win the decision.

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