In Hull, England, former soccer player Curtis Woodhouse defied the odds by capturing the British Junior Welterweight title against Darren Hamilton. Woodhouse put in a career-high performance in a bout that saw him go balls-to-the-wall with a skilled, awkward opponent.
Official scores came in at 113-116, 116-115, 116-114, with the Split Decision victory taking Woodhouse to 22 wins, 13 knockouts, 6 losses. The defending champion, Hamilton, who should also be commended for a hard-fought, spirited performance, now reduces to 14 wins, 3 knockouts, 3 losses.
It’s true the contest was neck-and-neck, and wouldn’t have caused outrage if a draw was reached. Following the final bell and announcement, things got awfully emotional for Woodhouse and his team. And it wasn’t without good reason – Woodhouse hadn’t had the easiest of rides toward the title shot, and he had now silenced his detractors.
Whether Woodhouse will achieve much more beyond domestic level is doubtful, but in all fairness, does it really matter? Woodhouse’s own Cinderella Man story has been inspiring, to say the least – particularly on UK shores – and his successful transformation from ball-kicker to face-hitter has been impressive. Not many other athlete-turned-boxers can boast this feat.
Chief support was provided by Gavin McDonnell who scored a 6th round stoppage over Leigh Wood. McDonnell now picks up the British Junior Featherweight title and can start calling out some big names at European level. Luke Campbell also shone brightly in his Lightweight contest, scoring two knockdowns before stopping Scott Moises in the 8th round.
Finally, over in London, Tony Conquest fought to a Unanimous Decision against Daniel Ammann, making him the new Commonwealth Cruiserweight Champion. Judges scored the contest 118-110, 120-109, 119-109.
What did you think of Woodhouse vs Hamilton and the undercard’s boxing results? Did the right man get the nod? Does Woodhouse have what it takes to reach European standard? And where do his achievements stand against other non-combat athletes who crossed over into boxing?
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