By Alexey Sukachev

Ponds Arena Forge, Sheffield, Yorkshire - In the opener, British welterweight prospect Dale Miles (12-0, 9 KOs) got a rare stoppage of granite-chinned, France-based Romanian boxer Mihaita Mutu (27-18-2, 10 KOs) in six rounds... but not without a slight taste of controversy.

Miles, a hard-hitting and aggressive southpaw, pressed the action against the 35-year old journeyman, who has wins over undefeated Corrado Battaglia and Barry Morrison and a stoppage of Young Mutley in his honorable past.

Mutu tried to spoil the action with his bobbing and weaving skills but still got hit too much. However, his solid chin had been sustaining some severe punishment from the Brit for the first four rounds of scheduled eight. Moreover, in the fifth stanza, Mutu landed a powerful right hand to cut Miles over his left eye and he also connected with more rigid leather to take the round.

The immediate future looked bright for Mutu, when the end suddenly came. Southpaw Miles threw a nice right-left combination which had Mutu immediately on canvas. The brave Romanian got up, but the fight was controversially waved off at 1:33 of the sixth round by referee Michael Alexander - despite being Mutu being ready to continue. Mutu was stopped for the first time since his second pro fight in 2000, when he was dismissed by future WBA super bantamweight titleholder Mahyar Monshipour.