Luke Paddock cool for his first title defence

Paddock, from Bloxwich, topped Saturday's fight night and shut out former English title challenger Liam Richards on points, writes Craig Birch.

It was the main event of a seven-fight bill, all four-round affairs, with 'Cool Hand' brought in for a keep-busy bout after the card was originally announced.

The 23-year-old is growing in stature with each contest and sets a fast pace from the off, even against a naturally smaller man who has campaigned as low as super bantam.

Richards kept himself moving, though, so Paddock had to walk him down and jab his way inside, absorbing a right hand on the turn in the first.

The area titlist took command of the centre of the ring from the second, going up the gears as he hit the front foot.

Richards was in trouble when he found himself trapped in the corner with Paddock putting his punches together, but he escaped and saw the distance.

There was little doubt that victory was his and by landslide at the final bell, referee Kevin Parker agreeing so as he scored the bout 40-36.

Fellow Bloxwich fighter Daniel Breeze acted as chief support at welterweight and gave Robert Studinzski some nervous moments, although the durable toughman got through the distance.

The Welsh-based Pole has failed to complete his allotted rounds just four times in 24 bouts, but was knocked around by Breeze in this one.

'The Hurricane' went hell for leather early on and loaded up right hands that rattled Studinzski to the body and head.

It looked as if the European visitor was going to fold when one attack left him shipping punch after punch, but he managed to regroup.

Breeze, just 19, operated more tentatively after Studzinski took his best shots, not wasting his work as he pressed forward with a high guard.

His opponent had to suck it up again when the teenager used both hands to pick hooks in succession but, again, there was no removing his adversary.

Breeze settled for a sixth straight points victory since turning pro last year against a man 19 years his senior, 40-36 with referee Shaun Messer. It was arguably his best paid performance to date.

Essington's Ben Wilkes had to battle against the rock-hard Dan Blackwell, who roughed him up at the start, but came away with the decision.

Blackwell dwarfed him at middleweight and really got in his face from the off, taking the first round with serious offence that tested Wilkes.

It was only his second fight back after five years in the corner rather than the ring and there was no time to settle, Blackwell coming out swinging.

One landed bang on Wilkes' chin and left him hanging on, with the chance to regroup at the end of the first a welcome relief.

The respite did him good as he boxed to orders from the second, using his feet and spreading his attacks. Even Blackwell conceded it was a good shot, after being tagged with a right hook to the jaw.

But there isn't much that can stop the Wiltshire slugger from keeping on coming and he was always in this one, trying to bully Wilkes after going behind on the cards.

His big bombs always made him a threat, but Wilkes worked well on the back-foot. It led the 29-year-old to a hard-fought 39-37 points success, winning three out of the four rounds.

A rare heavyweight pro clash marked the debut of West Bromwich's Matt Gordon, 30, taking on James Oliphant in the latter's 15th paid outing.

A fired-up Gordon threw some wild punches in the first but got through a couple of times with straight right hands, pegging Oliphant back.

His shots weren't finding the target, but the former unlicensed fighter was getting on the job training in how to move inside the ropes.

As tends to be the case with the big men, both were blowing hard by the end of the third. With Gordon in the lead, Oliphant went for a big last round.

An exhausted Gordon was just looking to get through it and was given a breather during the last session, after his opponent hit him low.

Oliphant then came close to getting him out there after clubbing Gordon, who clung on grimly, with two big right hands. Still, he lived to fight another day.

He conceded the last round and dropped a share of another on the way with Mr Messer but it was Gordon's hand raised, 39-38 on points.

Fellow West Bromwich debutant Jack Summers opened the show and impressed at super feather, the 20-year-old taking on Qasim Hussain.

Summers nearly got the job done in the first round as Hussain felt the pace of his body shots, his right hand landing at will. He had to battle his way out of the ropes, with Parker looking on.

Having spent a lot of energy in a huge-gusto opening round, Summers boxed more tentatively in the second and faded a touch in the third.

He smartly hung back and didn't waste his punches, which saw him through the rest of the fight. He outpointed Hussain 39-37, with a shared third round.

Craig Morris, from Ludlow in Shropshire, scored the night's only stoppage after battering Viktors Drizlionoks in the third round.

The Wolverhampton-based Latvian had already been on the floor from a right uppercut, as he attacked in the first round.

He was taking punch after punch in the corner when the finish came, Parker stepping in with 36 seconds on the round left. Drizlionoks was in no fit state to continue.

The card was completed by Redditch's Carl Dickens at middleweight, who outpointed Dean Croft 39-38 with Parker. Dickens was down in the third, ruled a slip but looked like a simple right jab from Croft.