‘The Magnificent’ takes the titles with 7th round stoppage

A magnificent result for the Magnificent tonight, stopping the game Chris Liddell close to the end of the seventh.

There was a poignant moment before the fight, with a ten bell salute to the late Hugh Russell who passed on Friday after a short illness. The many achievements and accomplishments of ‘Little Red’ were listed to the crowd, while he was described as one of Ireland’s best ever fighters.

When the fight began the action was up close and personal; there was never any question of either man having to go looking for their opponent.

Both fighters were in each other’s faces from the first bell, with Quinn perhaps shading that first round, with the more eye-catching shots, despite a large volume coming from ‘The Spark’.

That was how much of the fight proceeded, with Quinn looking a little more technically proficient, but with Liddell negating that advantage, or at least going a long way towards negating it, by virtue of a phenomenal work rate.

It was really the story of the second, third and fourth; loads of punches from Liddell, but a little bit more class from Quinn. In fairness Quinn was also busy himself, playing a huge part in what was becoming a really entertaining duel.

Given the pattern that had emerged, the suspicion was that the fight would be decided when one of the fighters would no longer be able to live with the lightning pace, and their opponent would make their move.

At the end of the fourth Lidell was cut below his left eye, but it didn’t deter him, and he persisted with his all action approach. 

Quinn probably did enough to take the sixth, but Liddell was always busy and looking to attack again and again.

However with the way it had gone since the first bell, something was likely to give and in the last minute of the seventh it did. 

A number of big shots from Quinn broke the Scots resistance, and seeing the opportunity, Quinn pounced. With Liddell backed against the ropes he let his hands go, and a severe assault sent the visitor to the floor.

To Liddell’s credit he got back up, but there was little left, and seconds later another Quinn attack put him down once more, with the referee moving to call it and the towel coming in almost simultaneously. 

It was a really entertaining fight, ended in style by Quinn, who moves to 8-0-1 and takes the  Celtic and Commonwealth Silver flyweight titles.