Jamie Ball's title fight ends a draw

A controversial knockdown in the last round cost Coseley's Jamie Ball the Midlands light middleweight title against Telford's Kieron Gray.

But Gray didn't go home with the vacant area belt either, and will probably retire after last night's fight at Birmingham's Holiday Inn, after Dudley referee Shaun Messer scored the bout a 96-96 draw.

Ball was winning by two rounds going into the tenth but took a count after a flash knockdown which, coupled with Gray winning the session, snatched the Midlands belt from his grasp.

'The Black Country Bully' already appeared to be going to ground from a slip when he was helped on his way but Messer, convinced a punch had knocked him off balance, ruled it a knockdown.

It proved costly and put the first blemish on the 26-year-old's in his 11th professional fight.

But Ball showed great courage and similar stamina after being laid out for most of last week with the flu, which had one point put the fight in grave doubt.

Fans were not disappointed it had gone ahead in an entertaining title tussle, which Ball took control of after weathering some big shots from Gray early on.

He had already bloodied the nose of his 32-year-old Shropshire opponent, who was running out of ideas and starting to swing wildly with Ball comfortable on his toes in the eighth round.

The younger fighter got behind his jab and further caught the eye with a rattling left in the ninth and all he had to do was survive the last round to lift the title.

Crucially, it fell apart, although Ball is adamant he did enough to win the fight.

He said: "Kieron Gray was a really strong opponent who was strong and came to win, I take my hat off to him because I was really proud of him.

"But it was me who landed body shots, head shots, he's was loading up with the big right hand every time and I blocked it almost every time he came in.

"I can't see how he won the fight and that is what is frustrating me.

"It's very disappointing, a draw is just as bad as a loss in my eyes. I am not a bad sportsman, if I thought I had lost the fight I would have been happy with the result.

"But I thought I had won and that is what makes it 10 times worse."

There was further heartache for the Dudley contingent as Dean Anderson's unbeaten start to life as a professional was halted in his third fight after a shock stoppage against Birmingham's Sid Razak.

Late replacement Razak smelled blood after connecting with a right uppercut and went in pursuit of his opponent.

Anderson should have tucked up, hung on, anything but stand there and trade visibly hurt from the earlier blow.

After further punishment referee Messer stepped in and stopped the light welterweight contest, with his opponent still swinging, 42 seconds into the second round.

But there was better news for Stourbridge's Kevin McCauley, who banished the memory of losing the Midlands welterweight title earlier this month by beating Birmingham's Dee Mitchell.

The light middleweight six-round contest was thrown together at four days notice when Tipton's Lee Glover pulled out with a groin injury, but both men looked up for it.

However, it was McCauley who held the upper hand as the fight wore on and teed off with the jab after a big shot had rocked Mitchell's head back in the third.

Referee Messer scored the contest 60-57 in McCauley's favour.

By Craig Birch