Boxing
KEITH Knox last night failed for the fourth time to win a major professional title when he was stopped in the eighth round of his challenge for the Commonwealth Flyweight Championship at the St Andrew's Sporting Club in Glasgow.
The little man from Bonnyrigg, who had been previously beaten in British and European title fights, put up a courageous performance against the champion, Zimbabwean Alfonso Zvenyika, but just didn't have the power or the guile to grab his big chance.
There was hope in the early stages when Knox carried the fight to the champion, who had won the title at the same venue in January by stopping Irvine's Paul Weir. However, the sustained aggression of Knox was systematically nullified when Zvenyika let loose with the more telling shots.
In the fifth round the champion rocked Knox back on his heels with a powerful left hook to the head but was then deducted a point by referee Richie Davis when he followed up with another left after the bell had sounded. Said Knox: ''That really upset me. I had dropped my hands and he hit me after the bell. I'm not really making that an excuse because he was so strong and surprised me the way he fought.''
Knox battled bravely but the champion looked comfortable and, as the fight moved into the eighth round, he picked up the pace. Where Knox had been the aggressor he became the quarry.
Zvenyika stalked him across the ring scoring at random. Amazingly, Knox kept trying to keep up the pace but a long, loping punch from the champion had him stumbling into the bottom rope and the referee immediately, and correctly, called a halt after 1min 49sec of the round. Other results:
Welterweight - Jan Cree (Motherwell) beat Brian Stanway (Stoke), retired, end of third round. Lightweight - Garry Burrell (Kirkcaldy) beat Simon Chambers, on points, six rounds. Bantamweight - Shawn Anderson (Maybole) beat Louis Veitch (Blackpool) on points, eight rounds.
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