Double English championship joy in Bolton
Jack Cullen (16-1) and Jack Flatley (15-0-1) both became champions of England on the same show in Bolton at the Whites Hotel on May 11.
The VIP Promotions event had been hailed by promoter as the biggest show he had ever staged in 20 years and it certainly delivered on its hype.
'Little Lever's Meat Cleaver' Cullen knocked down Halifax's Jack Sellars (7-4-1) three times en route to lifting the English middleweight title with an eighth-round stoppage before super-welterweight Flatley rounded off the night with a thrilling points win over Craig Morris (11-3-1) that had the crowd on their feet throughout.
Trained by Alex Matvienko’ at the Elite Boxing Gym, Flatley's clash with Morris has immediately been referred to as a small hall thriller and fight of the year contender.
Morris, 27 from Shropshire, gave Flatley problems from his southpaw stance throughout the entire 10 hard rounds that saw the pair trading leather non-stop.
The closely-fought contest was awarded to ‘Quiet Storm’, who prevailed 98-93, 97-94 and 97-93 on the three judges’ cards.
The 24-year-old said post-fight, “I can’t give enough respect to Craig Morris for that fight. I’m champion of England and in an absolute war.
“I think a lot of people are already talking about that as a fight of the year contender on a small hall show.
“I know I’ve got a big heart, I’ve shown that in the past, and I definitely showed it in that fight.”
Cullen meanwhile dominated as he sent Sellars to the canvas in rounds two, five and six.
To his credit the brave Halifax man kept coming before the towel was rightfully thrown in by his corner in the eighth round
“It wasn’t my best performance and I maybe tried too hard to get him out of there," Cullen admitted afterwards.
“I’ve got a big fanbase and I was trying to please them more than my coach but if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be getting these types of fights.
“It was a big night for me. It was win or bust. If I didn’t win this then I wouldn’t have been going anywhere else would I?
“This proved I’m ready for those big fights"
The pair of Jacks topped a nine-fight card put on by their manager Steve Wood and his VIP Promotions stable.
The fights will be available to watch back on VIP Boxing’s YouTube page.