Kevin McCauley wins Midlands title

Stourbridge welterweight Kevin McCauley defied the odds and took home the Midlands title after beating champion Dave Ryan in his own backyard.

McCauley was the underdog when comparing records, the challenger coming into the contest posting 6-19-3 to Ryan's 9-2-0, but is a far better boxer than his paid record might suggest.

At Derby's Heritage Hotel on Saturday night the 31-year-old he went in search of title glory, taking on the well-supported local favourite over 10 rounds for the area crown.

Chatter at ringside before the contest included doubts as to whether McCauley, fighting on 'away soil' in only his second ten rounder, would be able to nullify the tattooed Derby man.

As things turned out, the answer at the end of an always close contest was in the affirmative.

The opening rounds saw Ryan, making the first defence of his title, move into an early lead, his busier workrate coupled with him regularly following in the jab with decent rights to the head meant that his opponent was going to have to play catch up.

And, when the man dubbed 'Rocky' opened up with a sustained barrage towards the end of the second round, he looked to be on course for victory number 10.

But McCauley had other ideas and, after nicking the third and leaving Ryan with a nick to the left eyebrow early in the fourth, he contributed sufficiently to earn a share of several of the middle rounds.

By the eighth, it was clear that there would be no wilting from the challenger and, buoyed by having sent Ryan's gum-shield flying late in the seventh, he moved more onto the front foot.

With trainer Errol Johnson in his corner waving him forward, McCauley was rewarded when several rights found the desired target, that target being the head of the Derby man whose supporters, once on their feet urging their man on, were now a little quieter.

General opinion at ringside going into the final session was that the contest and indeed the title, was still up for grabs.

At the close of another nailbitingly close session, during which Ryan picked up another cut, this time to the right eyebrow, it was McCauley's arm that was raised by Dudley official Shaun Messer.

It was by a narrow margin, by one round with the scores 97-96.

Ryan's team, including show promoter and ex-pro Clifton Mitchell, felt that their man's cleaner work should have been enough to see him home, whilst several seasoned ringsiders had it level.

With the bout having been so close there is scope for a re-match, maybe in the West Midlands, in the not-too-distant future.

But, for the time being, McCauley is free to celebrate his first title victory since joining the paid ranks back in May 2008.

In the other Midlands title fight on the bill, Birmingham's Tony Randell lost his middleweight crown to Derby's Matt 'Left Hook' Hainy.

Randall went down to a wide 99-92 ten round defeat on the scorecard of referee Messer.