Liam Conroy swiftly swept aside Miles Shinkwin to defend the English light-heavyweight title as MTK Manchester put on a stellar night of boxing at Preston Guild Hall in front of the Box Nation cameras.
Conroy (16-3-1-KO8) revelled in headline status with a ruthless second-round stoppage of the experienced Shinkwin after victories for MTK Global stablemates Jack Catterall, Declan Geraghty, Alfredo Meli, Ben Sheedy, Matty Clarkson and Mike McGoldrick.
Hertfordshire’s Shinkwin (14-4-KO7) was unable to recover from a jolting right in the second session and as he retreated to the ropes, Cumbria’s Conroy pounced with a flurry of accurate shots to force the referee’s intervention – sending the champion’s supporters into rapture.
Earlier on, British super-lightweight king Catterall (20-0-KO11) made light work of Kevin McCauley with a first-round finish and there was a similarly-quick win for Belfast’s Meli (15-0-1-KO4) over Romeo Paun.
The most intensely-contested bout of the night saw two MTK Global fighters – Geraghty (17-2-KO4) and Liverpool’s Johnny Quigley (14-2-KO3) – serve up some enthralling viewing.
Both slick, southpaw counter-punchers, many expected a chess match but with Geraghty cut early, increasingly meaningful shots from both men ensured the clash had taken on a different complexion by the midway stage.
While Geraghty edged the exchanges and exhibited some fantastic head movement to evade incoming attacks, the Irishman had to survive both a controversial point deduction and a sustained final-round Quigley onslaught to seal a deserved 96-93 decision.
Middleweight Sheedy (9-0-1-KO4) kept his composure to maintain his unbeaten record with a points win over Darryl Sharp, Clarkson (13-3-2-KO3) returned from three-and-a-half years out injured by outclassing the highly-competent Dmitrij Kalinovskij and McGoldrick began life as a professional by outscoring Remigijus Ziausys.
Over in Cardiff on the Anthony Joshua v Joseph Parker card, there was less pleasing news for heavyweight hope David Price and local bantamweight starlet Sean McGoldrick.
The popular Price (22-5-KO18) gave his huge support hope he was on the verge of upsetting former world champion Alexander Povetkin (34-1-KO24) when he sent the Russian reeling to the ropes. Sadly for the Liverpudlian, a fifth-round stoppage defeat was to follow.
Former Commonwealth Games gold medallist McGoldrick had been due to box at the sold-out Principality Stadium but after Joshua and Parker’s world heavyweight title unification bout went the distance, will have to wait a little longer for his next chance to shine.
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