ESSEX gymnast-turned-boxer Louie O’Doherty became the new British lightweight champion on away soil in Glasgow, forcing Regan Glackin’s corner to throw the towel in at 2-33 of round 10.
It was an excellent performance from O’Doherty, 11-0 (3 KOs), who travelled a long way from home to pick up the Lonsdale Belt in fine fashion. Glackin’s corner team, headed by Joe Ham Sr, decided their man was taking too many punches as Ham launched the towel into the ring, accepted by referee Steve Gray.
While the commentary team lauded Glackin’s lengthy rangefinder in round one, analyst Carl Frampton rightly pointed out that O’Doherty’s own double jab was working just as well, if not better. The tone was set from the beginning and the pace along with it.
The styles were gelling nicely as O’Doherty got the better of most of the exchanges through the opening half of the contest. Local man Glackin was under pressure to turn it around as the temperature rose in the venue.
Glackin kept on pitching despite a bleeding nose and clear signs of fatigue at the close of the eighth. He was read the riot act before the 10th, as super-fit O’Doherty continued letting the shots go.
Glackin’s legs were wobbling as he fell backwards time and again. A point spotted, of course, by his coaching team, who decided enough was enough as another two-fisted assault rained in. ‘The Shark’ suffered his first loss, dropping to 16-1 (3 KOs).
