Zelfa Barrett stopped Jordan Gill in the 10th round to win a thrilling all-British super-featherweight world title eliminator at the Manchester Arena.
The pair went toe-to-toe throughout an absorbing contest before local fighter Barrett found another gear with two rounds to go, twice sending Gill to the canvas.
WBA International belt holder Gill was floored by a body shot and although he recovered, the Cambridgeshire boxer was knocked down for a second time with another blow to the midriff and the referee stepped in to end the fight.
Barrett, 30, will now be hoping for a second shot at the world title after sealing the 31st win of his 33-fight professional career.
Zelfa Barrett picked up the win in Manchester via stoppage
Earlier on the undercard, London’s Ellie Scotney became a unified world super-bantamweight champion after a deserved unanimous points decision over previously unbeaten Frenchwoman Segolene Lefebvre.
Scotney, who already held the IBF belt, maintained her 100 per cent record in her ninth professional fight with a relentless display over 10 rounds, in which Lefebvre did well to survive.
Warrington’s Rhiannon Dixon also became a world champion, winning the vacant WBO lightweight title with a unanimous points victory over Argentina’s Karen Elizabeth Carabajal.
Rhiannon Dixon won the vacant WBO lightweight title with a unanimous points victory
Dixon, a former pharmacist who has now won all 10 of her professional fights, knocked down her opponent in the third round, landing a left hook flush to Carabajal’s chin, before the Argentine recovered to last the distance.
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