Lenny Daws stops Paul Williams to retain his British light-welterweight title

Hackney-trained Lenny Daws retained his British light-welterweight title last Friday night at the York Hall after opponent Paul Williams retired at the end of the 10th round.

In a highly competitve contest on Friday night in east London it the Liverpudlian Williams who started the stronger of the two, as he found the target regularly with some impressive left jabs to control the first two rounds.

Daws is however a notoriously slow starter and after the second round upped his tempo and started to take control of the bout.

The Robert McCracken-trained fighter was the bigger puncher of the two and his heavy-hitting left jabs and right hooks put the pressure firmly on Williams in the swealtering heat, as the north-west fighter came forward on the attack.

Daws was firmly in control, when in round five a clash of heads gave Williams a nasty gash above the right eye, which had a big effect on his ability intentions.

Daws was now firmly in control, landing the better quality shots, with punches raining in on both head and body and it was a head shot in the eighth which opened up a second cut, close to the first.

Williams was struggling in the heat as Daws maintained his excellent work rate and when the Liverpudlian's manager Tommy Gilmore saw that his boxer was five rounds down according to Sky Sports, the Scotsman was keen to pull his man out at the end of the 10th.

Williams was desperate to continue, but with blood seeping from his eye badly affecting his vision the fight was called off,with Daws sealing the second defence of the belt, leaving him one win away from claiming the belt outright.

Most at ringside felt it was the right decision with the majority also having Daws up by five rounds and so it came as a surprise when it was announcedthat one judge had Daws just a round ahead, while the other two had him two in front.

"It was very hot in there under those ring lights. I think I have boxed better, but I was pleased with the result," Daws said after the fight.

"He was a very strong man and took some of my best punches. Every time I box I seem to get stronger. I don't do anything different than any other boxer in the gym. It must be a gift."

On the undercard, former Lion ABC fighter George Hillyard produced the best showing of his career to outpoint Telford's Keiron Gray over six rounds.

The east London fighter took the fight to an opponent who had only been beaten once in six contests.

Hillyard is an aggressive boxer, who normally trys to walk through his opponents punches to land his own, but for the first time in 16 fights, he played a more defensive game and caught his opponent with left jabs and right hooks, using his speed around the ring well to avoid the attacks of his opponent.

After a good start Hillyard caught Gray in round two with a savage left hook to the head, which the Telford man did well not to go down from.

Gray was however keen to continue his good form and upped the pace against Hillyard, catching Hillyard with some good counter punches.

It was not however as Hillyard was awarded the 59 points to 57 win by referee Ken Curtis.

"I felt relaxed in the ring and it is all down to trainer Paul Cook, who started training me five weeks ago," Hillyard said after the bout.

"This win was not all about me this was also for my children."

Hillyard will be in action again in September on a Matchroom show.

Former European light-welterweight champion Ted Bami, who trains in Clapton did not have such a good night however as Welshman Bradley Pryce inflicted Bami's third successive defeat.

The James Cook-trained fighter beat Pryce in their previous contest and this fight began tentatively.

Neither boxer wished to commit early on, just using jabs to try and find gaps in their opponents defence.

Bami was more aggressive in the second round and took the fight to the Newbridge man, semmingly gaining the upper hand, landing some heavy shots.

However as the round wore on the fight changed and towards the end a left hook to the body of Bami by Price, which was followed up by a right hook dropped the east London fighter to the canvas near his corner.

With the bell ringing for the end of the round, referee Jeff Hinds did not take up the count until it reached six and when he reached the eight count called the fight off.

Former Broad Street ABC fighter Michael Lomax was a winner when he outpointed Ghanaian fighter Stephen Okine 59 points to 55.

Lomax will however have to take time for a serious head wound to heal before he returns in the autumn looking for title success to highlight a seven year career that has brought just two defeats in 20 contests.

The man who won Prizefighter success in the welterweight tournament in 2008 at York Hall returned to the arena to dominate the first five rounds against former Ghanaian champion Stephen Okine.

Six feet tall Lomax built up a clear lead firing his effective southpaw shots as his rival pressed forward. To his credit the stocky Ghanaian absorbed the punches and kept swinging back but the real drama came in the final round when a sickening clash of heads left Lomax cut in the centre of his forehead with blood pouring down his face and body onto the canvas.

Lomax, fearing a stoppage because of the injury which left his face a bloody mask, launched a furious attack but he was allowed to go the distance.