By Alexey Sukachev
At Doncaster Dome in Donkaster, UK, Jamie McDonnell (15-2-1, 7 KOs) retained his European title for the first time with the third-round TKO over hugely overmatched Italian national champion Rodrigo Bracco (11-3, 5 KOs). Much taller and physically stronger McDonnell was in control of the game since the first minute of the very first round one. He peppered short-handed Italian with hard left jabs and added hard right hooks to the body. Bracco did fairly bad in the first, was punched, smacked and pinned from pillar to post in the second and appeared in a bad shape at the starters of the third.
The local favorite was gradually increasing his pressure during the third stanza and finally caught his opponent with a series of right hands and left hooks in the midst of the last minute of the round. Bracco went into survival mode on shaky legs but continued to eat one punch after another. With him being almost defenseless referee Erkki Meronen stepped in at 2:53 of the 3rd to save Italian from further punishment.
Several days after English national soccer team has lost in pitiful way to Germany on 2010 Wolrd Cup in South Africa, light welterweight Curtis Woodhouse (14-1, 9 KOs) proved English soccer is alive and well... in the boxing ring. Former Sheffild United, Birmingham and Hull City defensive midfielder, who notched four appearances for England U-21 team, showed some chilling offence in the ninth-round stoppage of experienced journeyman Stefy Bull (29-7-1, 7 KOs) in a heated, two-way action; that was the biggest fight of his new career.
Woodhouse took the first couple of rounds delivering some huge shots to Bull, who was moving and sticking but not that well. Bull got considerably stronger in the third despite eating some right-handed leather from Woodhouse. He was even more successful in the fourth and he started the fifth stanza with a huge left haymaker. However, this workrate proved to be too much for him as Bull's stamina started to wilt down. Oppositely, Woodhouse caught his second wind and started pummeling Stefy in the seventh. Round eight was all Curtis', and in round nine Bull began to seek for shelter in clinches. He wasn't very successful as he was rocked several times, and fell down twice though not frompunches. The punishment became more and more solid, so that referee Howard Foster finally stepped in at 2:14 of the ninth to halt the action. Woodhouse will be back into action on Sep. 18 to take on ultra-talented Frankie Gavin (7-0, 6 KOs) for one of minor titles.
Another light welterweight prospect Rick Godding (12-0, 1 KO) remained undefeated after his points victory over heavily (an colourfully) tattoed Scott Haywood (20-6-1, 4 KOs). Godding was sharper in his reflexes and more active over the course of six rounds.
