Conah Walker produces comeback for the ages to land British and Commonwealth crown

Walker was well down on the scorecards by the time he delivered a flurry of big shots midway through round 11 and time was called on a dazed Scarff in Nottingham.

Scarff tried to recover from a huge right hook to his head and hold on but Walker unloaded a series of blows and the comeback was confirmed.

The Black Country scrapper put early struggles behind him to summon the strength for the biggest win of his career and the British and Commonwealth welterweight crown.

Walker said: "I always knew that I could get here. Yes I did it the hard way, but I always do it the hard way, that's what I do.

"I never take the easy route, but I find a way. I never give up, I keep going and I found the shot we worked out. We knew if we keep stabbing the body then the shot will come, it's what we worked on, there is no fluke.

"Me and my long-term coach, we work so hard in the gym, this is his belt and mine, our dream to become British champion.

"If you win the British, you can go to world honours, trust me. I'm the king of Britain, let's go."

Walker, with a swollen right eye, added on his knockout shot: "It was patience, he's a good boxer. I'm a dog, I'll get you and I got it. Don't ever shut off with me because I'll find a gap.

"When I go home I will lay the belts in front of my son's bed so he will see them when he gets up. My shorts say 'Dez', I want to dedicate this to my cousin, he sadly passed away. The day I got the call for this fight I was at his funeral, he was only my age, he died from heart failure. It goes to show life's too short, it's changed my life.

"My son will have a better life than I did."

The 29-year-old, now 15-3-1, was behind on all three scorecards before the stoppage. Scarff, with the nickname 'Horrible Harry', used his superior heart and range early on before things got scrappy in rounds three and four as Walker landed.

Derby's Scarff continued to lead the way through the middle of the scrap as the holder grew in confidence. Walker showed signs of life in rounds eight and nine but Scarff recovered and the Wolverhampton star knew he needed something big to win.

Walker is building a burgeoning reputation in the division and Matchroom promotion king Eddie Hearn declared after watching the scrap from Las Vegas that he 'has a new favourite fighter'.

On the same bill, Walsall's rising star Hamza Uddin went 4-0 marked his first eight-round fight with a points victory over Misael Graffioli.

Flyweight prospect Uddin, a former Team GB boxer aged 21, showed the latest example of his eye-catching offensive work.

Another Walsall fighter, Lewis Morris, saw his televised scrap against Nico Leivars scuppered only a couple of days before the event.

Mansfield's Leivars pulled out on Thursday with a medical reason cited, leaving featherweight Morris, 23, (8-3) gutted with the outcome.