By Mark Vester
A year ago, heavyweight Martin Rogan (12-0, 6KOs) was a virtual unknown and driving a taxi cab to support his family. Last December, he upset Olympic gold medal winner Audley Harrison by winning a hard-fought ten round decision. At the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, Rogan did it again by stopping Matt Skelton (22-3, 19KOs) in eleven to win the Commonwealth heavyweight title in an even bigger stunner.
The first two rounds were slow. Skelton began to pick up the pace with hard shots from his right hand. They began to trade punches in the fourth, but it was the fifth that saw Skelton stunned and answer back with hard punches to turn the pace around. During the fifth round brawl, Skelton was badly cut around his left eye. Rogan began to take over the fight by landing his right hand over and over in each passing round. The eight saw Skelton once again in trouble and against the ropes, barely able to make it to the ninth as Rogan poured on the punches from both hands.
Skelton's nose began to flow blood in the tenth, but he was trying hard to turn the fight in his favor. During the eleventh, a hard right from Rogan sent Skelton down to the mat. He was able to make it up at the count of eight, but Rogan jumped on him more punches and the referee Keane jumped in to stop the fight.
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