CONAH Walker found a punch-perfect overhand right to stun Harry Scarff in round 11 of their British and Commonwealth welterweight title fight. Referee Michael Alexander jumped in at 1-23 as Scarff desperately tried to do what he had done so successfully all night: hold on.
Up until that point it was a frustrating evening’s work for Walker, who tried to get inside but had trouble with the rangy reach of ‘Horrible’ Scarff. The Derby man stepped off and used his switch-hitting shots to win most of the rounds.
The right eye began swelling up in the fourth as a fired-up Walker tried to find a way home. Scarff’s rangy tentacles tied up ‘The Wolf’ at every opportunity.
DAZN analyst Tony Bellew called for more cuteness and a better body attack before round seven as Walker’s troubles continued. “Hit whatever you can,” reiterated Darren Barker. Unperturbed, Scarff continued with his rhythmic enchantment.
Referee Michael Alexander upped his work rate in the eighth round to control the mauling and brawling. Conah’s frustration carried into the ninth as his old amateur rival refused to change a winning strategy.
Scarff was back in Alexander’s bad books in round 11 for holding on. Moments later, the unbelievable right hand landed, Scarff, 13-4 (3 KOs), unravelled suddenly and it was over.
“I always knew I could get here, I do things the hard way, I never give up, I keep going and I found the shot that we worked on,” said an emotional Conah Walker, 15-3-1 (6 KOs), afterwards.
“My son is going to have a better life than me. In boxing if you haven’t got support you’re a nobody really.”
A small excerpt from a superb closing speech delivered by a Wolverhampton man who has changed his life with that win.
