Liam Williams Crushes Gorbics, Wins WBO European Title

By Elliot Foster

Liam Williams made easy work of a late replacement opponent and will be looking for bigger and better tests in the new year.

The Clydach Vale super-welterweight was meant to defend his British title against Ahmet Patterson, live and exclusive on BoxNation, at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff.

But after Patterson was attacked while running at the end of camp, ‘The Machine’, who is now 16-0-1 (11 KOs), was faced with a late change in the opposite corner.

The man brought in was Hungary’s Gabor Gorbics and Williams’ promoter Frank Warren managed to get the vacant WBO European belt on the line for the fight.

Gorbics had a record of 22-4 (13 KOs) to his name going in to the fight but Williams set about him early, despite the visitor having a decent start.

It took a few rounds for Williams to get into his rhythm once he took control of the fight, upping the pace after the half-way point, but the end came from a crushing left hook to the body of Gorbics.

To his credit, the Hungarian got up at eight but referee Steve Gray ended the contest, with him in no fit state to continue, after 90 seconds of the round to ensure that Williams added the fringe WBO crown to his growing collection after his eighth successive stoppage.

Tommy Langford won the British title.

The Commonwealth and WBO Inter-Continental champion put behind him the disappointment of a failed fight against Chris Eubank Jr. to get the vacant Lonsdale belt on points against Sam Sheedy, of Sheffield, in what was a cracking evenly-matched scrap.

Langford is still unbeaten, having now extended his ledger to 18-0 with six early against the Dennis Hobson-promoted Sheedy, who slips to 17-2 (4 KOs) in defeat.

Previously, the loser hadn’t done the 12-round distance as a professional and looked tired in the first half of the fight, but he rallied and gave Langford some trouble as the fight went on.

Langford was horribly cut in the final round and Sheedy gave his all throughout, but the man with the better work early on rightly got the victory.

Both men raised their hands at the end of the contest, but the three scoring judges handed in cards of 117-113, 113-115 and 116-114 in favour of the Bideford man.