Lee Glover counted out for English title
Tipton's Lee Glover was counted out of his shot at the English super featherweight title after a peach of a punch on Saturday night.
Glover challenged Andy Townend at the First Direct Arena in Leeds under the Matchroom Boxing banner, live on Sky Sports, writes Craig Birch.
He'd already been down from a club of a right hand on the turn that put him on his knees in the fourth, but he battled on.
There was no escape from a sweet but evil left hook from a switch-hitting Townend come the seventh, a blow to the solar plexus he didn't see coming.
He gasped for breath as referee Victor Loughlin started his count and couldn't get back on his feet before 10, having already blew out his gumshield. There was 69 seconds of the round left.
'The Tipton Slasher' told the Express & Star he expected to be gunslinging with 'the KO Kid' and so it proved come the first bell.
Glover, in his second attempt to claim the belt, took the fight to the champion, who was cut by the right eye after just a minute of the contest from a clash of heads.
Smelling blood, the Black Country challenger aimed to build on an encouraging first round, where he worked the body well.
The two pitted their jabs against each other, with claret oozing from Townend's nose by the end of the second as they headbutted each other again.
Glover's best spell came in the third, beating Townend to the punch by doubling up on his jab and making openings for the left hook to the body.
A great equaliser came in the fourth as noted banger Townend smashed through with two right hooks, the second dumping Glover on the canvas.
A dazed Glover protested it was a slip but made the count and boxed on, although he was a sitting duck for that right over the top.
Glover regrouped and got his movement right to dodge further offence by the time the fifth was over, but Townend was in the ascendancy.
He operated smartly and switched to team the right hand with the left downstairs, a combination which forced the finish.
Not many would have gotten up from that shot and so it proved for Glover, who has indicated he will drop back down to featherweight after a battering here.
