Jamie Conlan wins Commonwealth title after epic battle

Photo by Ricardo Guglielminotti

Jamie Conlan claimed the Commonwealth Super Flyweight title on Saturday night with an eight round KO victory over previously unbeaten Anthony Nelson at the Copperbox in London.

The 29 year old Belfast fighter, just as he did  against Junior Granados in Dublin last year, got up of the floor twice to claim the win after an enthralling scrap.

MGM promoted Conlan showed phenomenal heart, grit, determination and balls in what was an epic and captivating battle from start to finish.

Conlan had a huge first round, dominating the round and dropping the Tyne and Wear fighter with a big right.

The Belfast man came out all guns blazing in the second, pinning his opponent to the ropes and landing successive big punches that could have seen the fight stopped.

In the third Conlan then tasted the canvas himself as he walked onto a cracking right and looked severely shaken. It was developing into a classic.

Into the fourth Conlan again landed the better shots and tested the chin of the relentless Walsh but he just kept coming for more. In the fifth Englishman continued to take big punishment but amazingly, and with the heart of a lion kept coming forward and landing some good shots of his own.

After the halfway mark, Nelson began to up the tempo as Conlan looked to tire. Conlan was again on the canvas in the seventh and did well to survive a Walsh onslaught in this fight of the year contender.

Amazingly, Conlan as he looked to be out on his feet landed the killer blow in the eight, a beautiful left to the body that saw Nelson sink to the floor. The champion failed to beat the count and Conlan claimed the Commonwealth title in dramatic fashion.