Sam Eggington smashes Commonwealth rival

Millions watched live on Sky Sports as 'the Savage' lifted the Commonwealth welterweight title with an impressive seventh round TKO, writes Craig Birch.

But, while great heavyweight hope Anthony Joshua encountered little resistance as he cleaned Raphael Zumbano Love's clock in the second round, Eggington had to work hard.

The punch of the night, a right hand out of nowhere, flattened Love and sent us all home early, but not before Joshua went nose-to-nose with next rival Kevin Johnson.

National champion Joseph Lamptey took a licking and just kept on kicking at the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham on Saturday night, before referee Michael Alexander took action for him.

There wasn't much in the way of defences from the off in a give-one-to-take one slugfest, but Eggington's blows soon started to take effect.

Typically, Eggington had tasted a combination of hooks in the third round when he answered back with a hammer of a right hand, forcing Lamptey onto the back foot.

It settled Eggington into the role of the aggressor from the fourth as he took the centre of the ring, his right hooks often landing flush.

He tested his jaw with the same loaded shot in the fifth and continued to tee off, with Lamptey hurt and looking to take a breather.

He managed to stay out in the trouble during the sixth until near to the bell to signal the end of the session, when he was reminded of the danger with combination punches.

But there was no escape with 55 seconds left of the seventh as Eggington trapped him in the ropes and let rip, as Lamptey tried to cover up in vain.

A right hook bang on the button as they traded forced Alexander to step in, with Lamptey in real danger despite his protests.

The belt went to Eggington as he claimed the Commonwealth strap and defended his WBC International Sliver crown for the first time.

The 21-year-old's legend is growing 17 fights into his journey as a professional and he's looking at getting his hands on the British title next.

There was healthy West Midlands representation on the under-card, on a night to remember for prospects Lennox Clarke and Daniel Breeze.

Clarke saw his six-rounder against the experienced Alistair Warren drop to four, but performed well before the show went on air.

The 23-year-old super middleweight, a former white collar fighter, was competing on camera three years after taking up the sport.

Clarke bombed out of his corner and bossed proceedings targeting the body and head, Warren marked around the ribcage from his attacks.

There was little of note to come from the third, as Warren looked to hold. He got caught with a club of a right hook during the last session, but survived to the final bell.

Referee Kevin Parker had it to Clarke 39-38 on points, handing him his eighth straight pro win. It was hard to see where Warren's round came from.

Welterweight Breeze, from Bloxwich, was another propelled to the top table with promoters Matchroom, at just 19 in his fourth paid contest.

Stourbridge's Kevin McCauley was drafted in to replace Dee Mitchell at late notice and brought credentials, as a former Midlands champion.

The 35-year-old centurion was in no mood to give him an easy night, either, so Breeze had to perform to maintain his unbeaten streak.

He got through with a right hook to the body in the second and waded in trying to force an early finish, but there was no removing McCauley.

Referee Shaun Messer, from Dudley, was asked to pick a winner after four and recorded another 39-38 points call, going the way of Breeze.

World middleweight title challenger Matthew Macklin and fellow Brummies the Yafai brothers also featured on the card.

A beauty of a screw-shot to the ribs made Hungarian Sandor Micsko fold in the second round, while Kal Yafai took just 82 seconds to take out super flyweight rival Issac Quaye.

Young sibling Gamal Yafai went the full eight rounds at featherweight with tough Nicaraguan Arnoldo Solano, but was a landslide points winner.

A second Olympic gold medalist, after Joshua, appeared in lightweight Luke Campbell and finished off Frenchman Aboubeker Bechelaghem in three, with a short right to the body.

Super middleweight Callum Smith, of the boxing family in Liverpool, scored another first round stoppage against Latvian Olegs Fedotovs, who had already been dropped with a right hand.

Brummie lightweight Michael Rooney decked Ismail Anwar twice, once in the second and again in the third, but his adversary survived only to lose 40-35 on points.

The card was completed by Jordan Cooke, a lightweight from Coventry, who shut-out Liam Richards 40-36 on points in another four-rounder.

(Pictures by Lawrence Lustig-Matchroom Boxing)