Complete and comprehensive
WAYNE Elcock made light of his inexperience to comprehensively outpoint Anthony Farnell at the MEN Arena in Manchester.
The 29-year-old relieved Farnell of his lightly regarded WBU middleweight title with a complete performance.
Despite making only his 11th appearance as a professional, Elcock had the 24-year-old Mancunian in trouble on numerous occasions.
Farnell was floored heavily in the fifth round and struggled his way through to the end of the three minutes. He also endured a torrid eighth round, his legs refusing to obey his brain after being hit by a solid right hand.
It was impossible to give Farnell any of the first 10 rounds, his straight-ahead approach no match for the smooth skills of Elcock.
By the 11th round, both men had blood splattered across their faces from nasty cuts -- Elcock by his left eye and Farnell on his forehead.
Farnell gallantly made it to the final bell, but his world-class aspirations have been put firmly into context after a third defeat in 34 fights.
Elcock, who triumphed by scores 116-111, 118-108, 119-108, saw his record improve to 11 wins with four by knockout.
Meanwhile, Ricky Hatton beat American Vince Phillips by a unanimous points decision to retain his WBU World Light Welterweight crown at Manchester's MEN Arena in a gruelling contest on Saturday.
Hatton survived a couple of rocky moments and had to deal with a cut above his right eye as early as the first round.
But he managed to ride out those difficult periods to contain Phillips and punish him in every round of the bout.
The 39-year-old American, who initially refused to leave his dressing room, was courageous throughout but his ageing body could not find the energy to compete with the relentless Hatton.
Phillips began to bleed in the second round, ironically from an identical cut to the one that Hatton suffered.
The first three rounds were frenetic, with Hatton digging damaging hooks into Phillips' ribcage but also having to absorb some stiff right hands. One such blow rocked the Mancunian in the fourth, although he recovered quickly enough to boss the rest of the round.
Phillips' workrate diminished with every round and he seemed on the verge of being knocked out in the sixth and seventh. But another twist in the tail came in the eighth as the challenger landed a three- punch combination that clearly rocked Hatton and reopened the cut over his right eye.
That was effectively Phillips' last stand although he still managed to answer the final bell, despite his legs having appeared unsteady for most of the fight. Hatton was declared the winner by scores of 119-109, 120-107, 120-108, meaning that Phillips won just one round on one of the judges' scorecards..
The winner improves his record to 32 wins, with 24 by knockout.
Phillips suffered his eighth loss in 53 fights, with 44 wins, one draw.
Al-Ahram Weekly Online : 10 -16 April 2003 (Issue No. 633)
Located at: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2003/633/sp2.htm