ZAK MILLER produced a comprehensive performance to outpoint Leon Woodstock, a battered and bruised warrior, to retain his Commonwealth featherweight title.
Two scorecards of 117-112, as well as a wider reflection of 117-111, swung in favour of the former British champion, who shone brightly on the undercard of Jack Rafferty vs Mark Chamberlain in Altrincham, Greater Manchester.
Miller, 16-1 (3 KOs), whose sole blemish saw him lose a razor-thin majority decision to Nathaniel Collins in 2023, entered his contest fresh off a points victory over Masood Abdulah.
As expected, that added momentum seemed to make a sizable difference earlier this evening, with the Lancashire man introducing his gallant opponent to a torrid night’s work.
Before long, though, an accidental head clash saw Woodstock, 16-5 (7 KOs), suffer a cut, just beyond the corner of his right eye, in what was an otherwise encouraging opener for the away fighter.
As if to prove his mettle, ‘The Lion’ then came out firing in the following round, almost like a bat out of hell, before Miller restored a degree of stability with his jab.
The 28-year-old’s footwork, in particular, swiftly emerged as a noticeable advantage, so much so that it made Woodstock look somewhat static in the third frame.
Along with his pivots, Miller was able to find a home for his right hand which, whether thrown from short or long range, represented a remarkably accurate weapon early doors.
Seamlessly, the home fighter then extended his success into the middle rounds, utilising an elevated level of mobility to find a series of openings for his razor-sharp backhand.
With Miller always shifting his feet, it is fair to say that Woodstock, especially by the seventh visit, was struggling to solve the puzzle in front of him.
But nevertheless, the seasoned campaigner continued to press forward, eager to keep up with the frenetic pace that had been set from the opening bell.
The cleaner and more effective work, indeed, was with Miller, though Woodstock’s tenacity certainly made for a closely-contested battle down the stretch.
In response, Miller just simply maintained his fluid movement, always exiting the pocket at an angle, before his defensive polished display was rewarded with a clean sweep on the judges’ scorecards.
Then, shortly after getting his hand raised, the champion was asked by Dev Sahni if he would be interested in fighting Liam Davies.
In response, Miller said: “That would be a fantastic fight. I don’t even ask how much I’m getting paid; I don’t even ask who I’m fighting. I probably only got about 1,500 quid tonight, but that’ll do.
“But the Liam Davies fight is a good fight.”
