‘If at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again’ – those words certainly rang true for Martin Gordon at The Venue in Dudley.

The 26-year-old from Brierley Hill went into his ninth fight last night still looking for his first win as a professional boxer.

So Gordon made a decision – anything less than breaking the duck in this fight and he would call it a day.

In there with wily Brummie Jason Nesbitt and with new trainer Shaun Cooper in his corner, the light middleweight stepped it up.

With fast hands and quick feet he was not to be denied this time, out-pointing his opponent.

What it meant was clear at the final bell as Gordon was declared the winner for the first time in his two-and-a-half year career.

He said: “I was really up for it, I knew I had to win this time,” he said. “If I hadn’t I would have packed it in, no doubt about it.

“Hopefully this can turn a corner for me now.”

It was another coming of age evening for Coseley’s Richard Ghent, as he claimed his first stoppage with a three-round demolition of Jason Thompson.

Ghent was at his opponent from the opening bell with combination hooks and uppercuts as he put on a show.

The fight was meant to go six rounds but, in the third, Ghent trapped his opponent on the ropes and unloaded a barrage of punches that saw the referee dive in and stop the fight.

The 21-year-old’s record remains unblemished after his third fight in the paid ranks, and he feels it’s the platform for bigger and better things.

Ghent said: “I kept to the boxing and what we had worked on, that was to my advantage.

“I can’t explain the feeling of my first stoppage, it’s brilliant. You can bet I want a few more of them!”

After debutant Sam Padgett’s stunning knockout win over Steve Spence, the main event saw Birmingham’s highly-rated Nasser Al Harbi take on Stourbridge’s Kevin McCauley.

The brave McCauley took the fight at 48 hours’ notice, and just 11 days after his last bout.

Not only did he go the distance – losing by just one point – he earned the respect of his opponent and inevitable winner afterwards.

Al Harbi said: “I was expecting a tough fight, but he was my toughest opponent to date.”

Elsewhere on the show another fighter from the Cooper camp, Cradley’s Chris Male, caught out Shaun Walton again to make it 5-0 as a pro.

The Telford journeyman provided the opposition for the featherweight’s first fight at the Civic last September.

He got similarly short shrift out of the 25-year-old last night, even the points decision was the same.

Male will take the decision and move on.

He said: “Shaun is as hard as nails, to be fair to him. It’s all about experience, I will take anything I can learn from.”

Wolverhampton’s Myles Holder also caught the eye in his first fight as a professional boxer, outpointing the experienced Matt Seawright.

Report by Craig Birch