By Elliot Foster

Terry Flanagan successfully retained his world title.

The WBO lightweight champion, 27, was dominant against Orlando Cruz as he kept hold of the crown he won against José Zepeda in June, 2015.

Flanagan is now 32-0 with 13 early endings and had his own way against the only openly gay active boxer, as part of Frank Warren’s big ‘A Little Less Conversation’ card at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, exclusively live on BoxNation.

It was pretty routine and in defeat Cruz –– who was cut by the right cheekbone in the third round from a minor head clash –– slipped to 25-5-1 (13 KOs).

‘El Fenomeno’, 35, didn’t justify a second shot at the world title, having lost down at super-featherweight to Orlando Cruz, on that performance.

The end of a one-sided fight came at the start of round eight, after just 43 seconds, with Steve Gray getting Cruz out of there after a count following a Flanagan right hand.

Felix Verdejo appears to be next in line for the Mancunian and that clash is believed to be in the works for once ‘El Diamante’ has returned, following a motorcycle accident, in the new year.

Further details will be revealed in due course.

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.