Brilliant Conah Walker retains British title with brutal stoppage win
Conah Walker retained his British welterweight title with a brilliant and brutal seventh round knockout of Liam Taylor.
The Wolverhampton fighter had largely been second best through the first half of Saturday night’s contest at Birmingham’s BP Pulse Arena.
But Walker’s relentless style eventually paid dividends as he pushed Taylor back and then floored him with a left hook.
Taylor, beaten just twice before and only once inside the distance in his 31-fight career, was unable to beat the count, sparking wild celebrations from Walker and hundreds of supporters who had travelled from the Black Country to roar on their man.
The win was the 30-year-old’s fifth in six fights, with four of those coming inside the distance, continuing a remarkable run which will now push him further into the picture for possible world honours.
Walker had snatched the British crown from Harry Scarff in dramatic fashion in January.
This fight followed a similar pattern, with his opponent having the better of the early exchanges before the Midlands man broke through.
Lancashire’s Taylor was challenging for the British title for the second time after a frustrating technical draw with Chris Jenkins in 2019.
The 34-year-old looked the more composed man when the fighters entered the ring, with Walker jumping up and down as their names were announced.
He was clearly eager to get going, in what was his first fight under the guidance of new trainer Jamie Moore, yet it was Taylor who had the better of the opening round, catching the eye with an uppercut.
The pattern of the fight soon became clear, with Taylor aiming to keep Walker at distance and the latter eager to battle in close.
Only in the third round did the Wolverhampton man truly enjoy sustained success on that score, as a late combination saw him return to his corner pumping his fist in the air, geeing up the crowd.
Taylor duly restored some order through the fourth and fifth, picking his opponent off but while Walker began to get a little more joy in the sixth, there was still little clue of what was to come just 45 seconds into the seventh.
Backing his opponent into a corner, Walker unleashed a left hook which sent Taylor crashing to the canvas, the fight ended in the blink of an eye.
Earlier in the night, Walsall boxing ace Hamza Uddin extended his perfect record in the professional ranks with an impressive seventh round stoppage of Argentina's Leandro Jose Blanc.
The 21-year-old looked several classes above his opponent, a former Olympian and South American champion, as he recorded his fifth pro victory and second inside the distance.
Uddin, who had promised to deliver the best performance of his career to date, backed up the big words as he dominated the contest from the start.
