Darren targets British title
Dudley's Darren McDermott vowed to win a British title after crushing Kai Kauramaki at Wolverhampton Civic Hall.
Dudley's Darren McDermott vowed to win a British title after crushing Kai Kauramaki at Wolverhampton Civic Hall.
The 29-year-old made it 14 wins out of 15 after leaving the tough Finn with blood pouring from a gaping wound above his left eye, his ninth stoppage coming in the fourth round.
Black Country Bodysnatcher McDermott was also awarded the Midlands middleweight belt outright after three successful defences to go with his British Masters title.
"I'll have to get my wife Claire to knock me a new trophy cabinet up at work!" said McDermott.
"When I saw the blood I went mad a bit. But my corner told me to calm down, jab him and wait for the shot.
"He dipped to the right and 'bang', I got him with a right hook and when I saw his face it looked as if he was saying 'I don't fancy too many of them'."
Should British champion Wayne Elcock beat Arthur Abrahams for the IBF crown, McDermott would move closer to his long-awaited wish of fighting for the British title as the Birmingham stylist has to relinquish it if he wins.
"I don't blame him for going for that," said McDermott, who has already won an eliminator when he beat Darren Rhodes in February.
"It sounds as if it's going to be me against Matthew Macklin, which would be another great fight for the Black Country and Birmingham. Do I fancy my chances? There's no one in this country who can beat me at middleweight.
"That British title will be mine sooner or later anyway, so fingers crossed.
"If it takes me another two fights for me to get a crack at the British title, then as long as I'm back in the gym and ready, they won't catch me unawares if they say 'fight next week'."
The decisive moment came midway through the second round when McDermott rocked Kauramaki with a right uppercut which split his left eye.
McDermott moved in for an early finish with a flurry of combinations to the head and body, but the shaven-headed Finn wouldn't go down until he was illegally wrestled to the canvas.
Ironically, after being patched up by his corner, Kauramaki stormed back in the third to hurt McDermott with a right cross flush in his face followed up by one to the ribs.
But with Kauramaki's face a mask of blood, the referee stopped the fight two minutes, nine seconds into the fourth.
In a superb show, all eight local fighters maintained their unbeaten records.
Stafford light-welterweight Rob Hunt was pushed all the way for his seventh straight win (39-38) against tricky former England schoolboy international Leonard Lothian (Northampton), who bore all the slippery hallmarks of the Ingle stable he came from.
Halesowen light-welter Scott Evans delighted his big following with a 40-36 points win over Birmingham's Amir Nadi over four-threes.
Telford's Tristan Davies, boasting a seven pounds weight advantage, made light of a two-week virus to outpoint Stourport light-welter Billy Smith 39-37 over the same distance after Smith Also at light-welter, Wolverhampton's Rob Kenney easily brushed aside Paul Royston 60-54 over six-twos.
Brierley Hill light-heavy Richie Collins stopped Dave Pearson (Middlesbrough) one minute, 20 seconds into the third of their scheduled four-twos bout.
Wolverhampton featherweight Lyndsey Scragg stopped Olga Michichenko, who gave away five pounds, two seconds into second of their scheduled six-twos, the tiny Ukrainian left shrieking and winded after a crushing blow to the ribs
