photo by Kevin Scott

TOMMY McCarthy took a massive step toward a British title shot with victory over the experienced Courtney Fry in just his sixth fight.

The win see’s ‘Big Tommy’ gain a place in the British Cruiserweight top five, but the experienced gained against a respected, clever former British and Commonwealth title challenger will prove infinitely more valuable.

Fry asked some questions of the former Irish amateur stand-out down the stretch, most of which he answered to highlight his potential.

As it does with most big men battles, the first round had a feel out nature to it, as both wanted to get a gauge for the other’s power.

Fry certainly tasted McCarthy’s in the second and was put on his rear by a left hook.

The former senior champion’s class, rather than his power was on display in the next two stanzas as he started to put combinations together. In the fourth he took to his toes and he looked a class above when the shots flowed naturally. He loaded up a little less and the variety and speed seemed to cause the 40 year old former Roy Jones and Nathan Cleverly foe trouble.

Momentum didn’t quite swing the visiting fighters way in the fifth, but he did catch McCarthy, who was fighting beyond six rounds for the first time, clean for the first time and his corner felt the tide was about to turn.

Fry enjoyed a good sixth round and pinned McCarthy back on the ropes in the seventh. ‘Finish him’ screamed a Liverpool accent from the away corner, but McCarthy was more resting than hurt and responded with another left hook.

Fry came out to win the last round, but was put in his place by a crisp left hook which carried so much weight he tumbled over in the ring and McCarthy went on to finish strong.

The final scorecard was 77-73 (incorrectly read out as 77-74) and McCarthy will take this testing experience with him on his assault for the British title.