By Alexey Sukachev
Velodrome, Manchester, Lancashire - Scott Quigg (24-0, 17KOs) and Rendall Munroe (24-2, 10KOs) fought to a three round technical draw. After an even two rounds, there was a bad clash of heads in the third - and a very bad cut opened up around the right eye of Munroe. The doctor took a look and quickly stopped the fight. Quigg retains the British super bantamweight title.
Quigg was ranked #2 by the WBA beforehand and former WBC world title challenger Munroe was rated #4 by the same sanctioning body. The latter contestant started it quicker and busier than his younger opponent - delivering well-placed shots, including left uppercuts. Quigg had a moment as well, connecting with a smashing right hand. In the second stanza, Quigg began to move more consistently and he also maintained a nice high guard to prevent his foe from scoring with frequent one-two combinations.
Early into the third, both fighters came inside and clashed heads. The fight went on for several seconds but then referee Howard John Foster called for the ringside physician to check on Munroe. The contest was stopped soon thereafter due to the heavy amount of bleeding over Munroe's right eye.
Sergey Rabchenko (21-0, 16KOs), with Ricky Hatton in his corner, stopped Ryan Rhodes (46-6, 31KOs) in the seventh round to capture the vacant EBU junior middleweight title.
Rabchenko was ranked #9 by the WBA coming in and he was also known to be tremendous body-hitter with a number of his stoppages coming in by way of knockout. 35-year-old Rhodes was rated #8 by the WBC despite his loss to Canelo Alvarez a year ago. This clash, however, proved Rhodes, a two-time unsuccessful world title challenger, has little gas left in the tank - at least in regards to the European level. Rabchenko used his right uppercuts to bother Rhodes in the first. The opening and the subsequent round were both fought primarily near the ropes, where Rabchenko had athe upper hand thanks to his physical strength and sparse but heavy punches. Rhodes was trying to use his body movement to avoid unnecessary punishment but that wasn't enough to not get hit.
The Brith has a mild success in the third, rocking Rabchenko with a hard right hand. The Belarussian was momentarily rocked but promptly regroupped and went back into action with zeal. Rounds four and five were rather even but it looked like Rabchenko was waiting for something to occur. His patience paid off in the round after that. Rabchenko caught Rhodes with his left hand and then landed a picture-perfect body punch to the Brit's solar plexus. Rhodes went down and was counted out. Rabchenko, promoted by Ricky Hatton, took the blue belt and moves forward with a good shot to evolve into a bona-fide international contender in the near future.
Heavyweight prospect Richard Towers (13-0, 11KOs) gained a controversial ninth round stoppage over Gregory Tony (14-3, 14KOs). Tony unable to continue after an arm injury, but he had Towers in all sorts of trouble, especially in the fifth round, and the referee certainly gave Towers every benefit by not stopping the contest. Tony was down several times in the bout.
Middleweight contender Martin Murray (24-0-1, 10KOs) boxed his way to ten round unanimous decision over Karim Achor (13-3-2, 2KOs), with a score of 98-93.
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