Cyrus Pattinson claims WBA International belt
Cyrus Pattinson (6-0, 4KO) broke down Chris Jenkins (23-7-2, 8KO) in his first headline show in Newcastle, ending with a ninth round TKO in a breathless British classic at welterweight.
The 147lbs pair served up round after round of exciting, non-stop action with Pattinson, in only his sixth bout, eventually breaking down his more experienced Welsh visitor in the penultimate round of a scheduled 10.
Jenkins, a former British welterweight champion, knew victory over the rising star from Newcastle could put him back in the mix for his old belt.
But 28-year-old Pattinson made no secret of his desire to secure a crack at British champion Ekow Essowman and knew any slip up against Jenkins would put a huge dent in those ambitions.
Both men got straight to business in the opening round, each having immediate success.
By the second stanza, Pattinson and Jenkins had their heads up against each other in center ring, taking turns to rip away at the body at close range.
There was a sense that the pace could not continue like it had started but there was no let-up from either man, although southpaw Pattinson appeared to be having more success, and he rocked Jenkins’ head back with a couple of heavy shots. But it was the visitor who landed a big right hand on the bell.
Before this, Pattinson had never been beyond six rounds in his life, but his engine did not slow down at all. He continued to maraud forward and fire huge left hooks from his southpaw stance to both head and body. Jenkins, who has done the full 12 three times before, was wilting slowly.
In the ninth, perhaps feeling the pace, Jenkins got on his back foot and attempted to potshot Pattinson, who continued to stalk the older man. He made a big breakthrough with another left hook, and followed it up with a sustained barrage. Jenkins was in trouble but not down and out but his trainer Gary Lockett threw in the towel to save the 34-year-old. The official time of the stoppage was 1:34 of the ninth.
“He’s like a dad to me,” Jenkins said of Lockett’s decision. “I wasn’t hurt in there. I’m ok with the stoppage, my ear drums have gone, both hands have gone.”
Pattinson, who was born in Newcastle, said: “He’s achieved a lot and it was an honor to share the ring with Chris Jenkins tonight.”
Pat McCormack vs Dario Socci
In the chief support, north east prospect Pat McCormack had it all his own way against Dario Socci of Italy.
McCormack, from 10 miles down the road in Washington, received a superb reception and then set about the man known as ‘Italian Trouble’.
In reality, the only trouble for McCormack was that it took him until 2:12 of the eighth and final round before he got the stoppage.
Socci remonstrated with referee Neil Close, who had decided to wave it off. He could have continued but it had been almost one-way traffic for seven straight rounds and there was not much coming back in the eighth either.
McCormack is now 4-0 with three KOs and looks capable of following in the footsteps of Pattinson and emerging as a headline attraction in the north east at the very least.
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