Sam Eggington retains his Midlands title
Stourbridge's Sam Eggington turned on the style late on to retain the Midlands welterweight title against Dave Ryan at Aston Villa Football Club.
The champion won the last three rounds to see off the spirited challenge of Derby's Ryan, after 10 gruelling rounds in the Holte Suite on Saturday night.
Referee Shaun Messer awarded the fight to Eggington by 97-95 and the 20-year-old admitted he left it late to ensure that he retained his area crown.
He said: "I thought with me being bigger at the weight, naturally, that was I going to break him down. Really, me winning the last three rounds got me the decision.
"It felt like he had the better of me, at first, but I think I won the fight fair and square. It was good to get the 10 rounds in. If I had blown him away, it would have been pointless."
Ryan hadn't come to make up the numbers, evidenced by fierce offence that shook up Eggington in the first round and he won the second session, too.
Eggington battled back in the third but Ryan restored his advantage by the fifth, where they again traded rounds going into the seventh where the champion stepped it up.
He nearly forced the stoppage in the last round with a flurry of punches that forced Ryan to retreat on route to a points victory, which makes him the top challenger for the English title.
