By Phil D. Jay
Newport Leisure Centre, Newport, Wales - Welshman Lee Selby retained his Commonwealth featherweight title with a fifth-round stoppage of Ghana's big-hitting Patrick Okine at Newport Leisure Centre on Friday night.
A sustained onslaught consisting of over 30 punches eventually sank Okine who was stopped in the act of rising by referee Terry O'Connor.
Selby, 25, has been training in Floyd Mayweather's gym and the trip across the Atlantic certainly paid off as the home fighter boxed well behind his jab before pulling off an impressive finish against a renowned puncher to take his record to 13-1 (5KOs).
World amateur champion Frankie Gavin (13-0, 10KOs) made light work of a durable opponent in Laszlo Komjathi (43-41) as he took out the Hungarian in five one-side rounds before calling out the British champion Junior Witter.
The 26 year-old proclaimed to have put all his personal worries behind him after putting Komjathi down on his way to his 13th professional win, with the veteran retiring after shipping punishment for five bruising rounds.
Gavin, who has dropped the ‘Funtime’ nickname as he matures into the welterweight division, is now eyeing Witter’s newly-acquired Lonsdale belt after a first attempt to put the two fighters in the ring collapsed amidst personal issues for the Birmingham fighter.
“I got offered Witter the first time at two weeks’ notice after the Horta fight and I had problems at home and stuff. Now my head is sorted. I am ready. Six weeks, five weeks Witter, instead of talking the talk, let’s get it on,” Gavin told Boxnation’s Steve Bunce after the fight.
“I am ready to fight him. I am the mandatory now. Purdy had his chance and he got beat easy by Lynes. So if I don’t get Witter, I want a final eliminator but I want Witter.
“He’s been calling me out and now I am calling him out, so let’s get it on.”
Earlier in the night, fellow-welterweight Liam Smith won his tenth of eleven pro fights with a first round win over an out-classed Andrew Patterson to move close to a title shot at domestic level.
Smith, 23, was due to fight Ronnie Heffron in a British title eliminator until the Oldham fighter pulled out injured and the two fighters could now be put together again for a summer clash.
Phil D. Jay covers boxing for worldboxingnews.net
