Flanagan Outpoints Mathews In Liverpool

By Olly Campbell: WBO lightweight champion Terry Flanagan, (30-0, 12ko) was loudly booed as only a Mancunian could be in Liverpool ahead of Saturday’s clash with local favourite Derry Mathews at the city’s Echo Arena. Mathews, (38-10-2, 20ko) was boxing in his 50^th professional contest, yet for all his efforts and the (ostensibly) partisan crowd, he just couldn’t get past the straight punches and distance work of Flanagan who began to pull away after the first couple of rounds, taking the fight by unanimous scores of 117-110, 115-112 and 117-110 with a display of sharper and crisper punching.

A tentative opener saw Flanagan look the slightly sharper, catching Mathews with a charge forward at opening the rounds end. The two tumbled to the floor as they tied in the 2nd, though Mathews ended with a good right hand, yet it wasn’t enough for him to win the round. Some messy action up close finally tested the patience of referee Phil Edwards, who had seen enough of Flanagan catching Mathews low and pulling his head down thoughout the fight, eventuallly deducting a point from the champion for the infringements in the 9th.

In the end Mathews appeared to grow devoid of ideas as Flanagan baited him onto the ropes and continued his assault, bringing his rival to him for much of the later rounds, and while the fight was entertaining enough, it won’t be going down in the history books or onto any highight reels anytime soon. The right man won, and if promoter Frank Warren has his way, then future fights with fellow Brit and WBA lightweight champion, Anthony Crolla, and dangerous Venezuelan champion, Jorge Linares await the WBO titleholder.

A war of attrition between Tommy Langford and Lewis Taylor was perhaps the consensus highlight of the undercard, a classic ’TV fight,’ although some questionable judges scoring in favour of "home fighter" Langford left a bitter taste for many observers, with the gritty and determined efforts of Taylor seemingly ignored by judges who all ruled unanimously and widely in favour of Langford.

Also on the televised card: Paul Butler w/ko 9 vs Sebastian Sanchez

Zolani Tete w/tko7 Jose Gonzalez

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March 12, 2016