All guts and some glory for fighting duo
Both Sam Eggington and Jason Welborn showed guts to go the distance in their title tests - but only one would taste glory when it was all done and dusted.
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Stourbridge's Eggington climbed off the floor to retain his British and Commonwealth welterweight belts against Dale Evans, writes Craig Birch.
Rowley Regis' Welborn gave three-time world challenger Matthew Macklin a real run for his money, too, before he was beaten on points.
Stafford's Rob Hunt relinquished his Midlands welter crown after suffering a chilling second round knockout to Birmingham's Karl Wiggins, before Sky Sports started broadcasting.
Bloxwich's Daniel Breeze and Oldbury-based Brummie Craig Cunningham also picked up over-the-distance victories outside of the live schedule on Saturday night.
A busy bill at the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham lasted for nearly seven hours, with Eggington at the top of the bill against late replacement Evans.
The Welsh challenger got the call to replace the injured Frankie Gavin at just 10 days notice, but nearly came back to haunt Eggington.
The two clashed in Prizefighter two years ago, with Evans getting the decision. At times, it looked as if he would become his bogeyman here.
None more so than when Eggington hit the deck for the first time as a pro in the second round, after walking onto a right hand to the jaw.
He was stunned but answered the count well and eventually regained his senses, going on the attack in the third round.
He dug in with spiteful body shots as he tried to keep Evans, who kept bombing forward, at range as bruising and swelling developed below Eggington's right eye.
He continued to bash away at the bread basket of Evans, who was landing the cleaner shots to the head as the fight ticked past halfway.
That's when Eggington started to pile on the pressure, although both took their foot off the gas from round eight for a spell as fatigue started to set in.
Evans was cut by the right eyebrow and cheek, leaving his face covered in blood, and he was hurt in the ropes come the ninth when he was clubbed with a right hook.
That left him hanging on which proved the theme again for the 10th, but he gamely kept on coming as thoughts set in he was behind on the cards.
A last round onslaught nearly got the job done, as Eggington took punch after punch to the face as they traded toe-to-toe in the centre of the ring.
But the tough champion smiled after a grimace and got through it, so the three judges were called into play after a compelling war.
It widely went to Eggington with the trio unanimously as Ian John-Lewis and Victor Loughlin having him up by eight rounds, 117-110 with the knockdown. John Keane had it 116-110.
'The Savage' felt the pace of his fourth title fight of 2015 and was taken 12 rounds for the first time. Expect that to be this last ring outing this year.
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Brummie Kal Yafai emphatically claimed the vacant British super flyweight crown in the night's other Lonsdale belt bout.
Jason Cunningham, who touched down from a left hook to the head in the fifth, was completely whitewashed on Terry O'Connor and Keane's card, while Laughlin gave him one round.
Younger brother Gamal Yafai become the No 1 contender to the Commonwealth super bantamweight title with a final eliminator victory.
He outpointed Tanzania's Nasibu Ramadhani, who was docked a point in the eighth for persistent holding, 99-91 with O'Connor as he won eight out of the 10 rounds.
Eggington versus Evans proved entertaining, but fight of the night honours went to Welborn's attempt of a giant-killing against Macklin for the WBC International strap.
'Mack the Knife' was coming down to light middleweight for the first time in nearly 10 years, against an opponent who has campaigned mostly at welter.
The 33-year-old former British and European middleweight champion vowed to retire if he lost to Welborn, who has viewed by some as cannon fodder.
But the Black Country underdog took the fight to the Brummie from the off and came out swinging, rocking Macklin's head back with flurries as the veteran replied downstairs.
Macklin's game-plan was to take the wind out of the sails of an opponent who has only ever been stopped or dropped by body shots.
But he was covering up in the ropes come the second round as Welborn, regarded as a big-hitter himself, put his punches together.
Welborn got through again in the third as a right hand rocked Macklin's jaw, but he showed his own mettle by firing back again to the body.
It was Welborn's turn to take a shot in the fourth as Macklin switched his attacks to the head, bringing up a high guard.
The fight stalled in the fifth as Macklin went to ground from two low blows, the first of which cost Welborn a point.
Losing his gumshield twice afforded Macklin more breathers and he seemed revitalised in the sixth, pinning Welborn back to make room for his body attacks.
Back came Welborn in the seventh determined not to let the bout get away from him, but Macklin dodged away from danger.
Again his jaw was tested in the ninth as Welborn again landed with the right hook, but it still looked like it was going the distance.
And so it proved after 10 rounds, claiming a moral victory for Welborn, in any case, with odds long that he could live that long with Macklin.
He prospered more than survived and the scores were unanimous but close, with a round in it for both Robin Dolpierre and John-Lewis at 96-94, with the point off. Keane had it 97-93.
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Hunt's aspirations went up in smoke after just two rounds against Wiggins, who forced the finish out of nowhere with a hammer of a right hand, with just 26 seconds left until the bell.
The defending champion had looked static, struggling to find the range to fend off the challenger with the jab.
It proves costly when Wiggins loaded up a right hook that heavily dropped Hunt, O'Connor dispensing with the count on seven with him flat out and struggling to lift his head.
He was, thankfully, OK after being carried to a stool and given medical attention. And the 29-year-old, after his 28th pro outing, has indicated he will box on.
Cunningham was left high and dry after his Midlands middleweight title defence against Halesowen's Lennox Clarke was cancelled, due to the latter having flu.
The area titlist made do with a six-round verdict over Adam Jones, who had caused British title challenger and southpaw John Ryder problems the week before.
Cunningham is another left-hander and couldn't prevent the never-stopped Jones from having his moments, but was always on top.
Jones couldn't lay a glove on him in the first, but Cunningham's range only came in spells.
That led a lull as Cunningham tried not to waste his punches but he was more clinical in the last round, looking to land the left hook whenever they got close.
Referee Kevin Parker was called to score the contest and had it 59-57 to Cunningham, who lost a round and shared two along the way. He could now drop to light middle.
Breeze opened the show just after 5pm with a four-rounder against the capable Chris Jenkinson, which proved a step up.
The unbeaten welterweight, 19, extended his record to eight wins without a blemish, but that might not have been the case without a strong finish.
Breeze controlled the first off the jab and stepped in to pick his body shots, with Jenkinson battling back with a barrage of right hooks to the head.
Breeze put more meat in his gloves to land some audible body blows in the second, but the tough Jenkinson shrugged off the pain.
Jenkinson commanded most of the third, after absorbing a right hook to the head upon coming apart from a break.
That left it all on the fourth and last round, where Breeze called upon his last reserve of energy to take the session. It would have been a draw if he hadn't, with Parker scoring it 39-38.
After Breeze's curtain raiser and the first title fight involving Hunt, four more bouts kept the attention of the early birds in attendance.
Two points landslides saw Michael Rooney defeat Liam Richards over six, before the impressive Cori Gibbs overcame the game 'Fonz' Alexander Anderson.
Zach Parker forced the retirement of Bulgarian Samet Hyuseinov after three rounds, while Jordan Cooke downed Chris Adaway over-the-distance and dropped him in the fourth.
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