Boxing: Ryan Walsh successfully defends British featherweight title

Rochdale-born boxer Ryan Walsh successfully defended his British featherweight title at London’s Copper Box Arena after stopping Belfast’s Marco McCullough in the eleventh round on Saturday (20 May).

The 31-year-old champion will keep the Lonsdale featherweight belt, the first British fighter since Billy Joe Saunders’ victory over Chris Eubank Junior in November 2014. Boxers defending the belt three times are able to keep it for good.

Walsh later dedicated the win to his late father, and gave the belt to his older brother, Michael, saying he had earned it as he was his ‘guardian angel’ and it is ‘the least he deserves’.

Walsh started very fast and credited McCullough, 27, for his toughness, commenting ‘he is one of the first featherweights I haven’t put over, so fair play to that’.

Referee Howard Foster stopped the fight at one minute and 58 seconds into round eleven.

Walsh record is now 22-2-1 (11 knock outs).

Walsh made his professional debut in 2008 against Riaz Durgahed and previously held the English super-bantamweight title in 2011. Prior to his professional career, he was Junior ABA champion, twice finalist Senior NACYP champion, and ABA finalist.

Ryan’s twin brother, Liam, British, Commonwealth and WBO European champion, also fought on the day against Gervonta Davis, 22, of Baltimore, to attempt to win the IBF world super featherweight title.

The referee, Michael Alexander, stopped the third round at two minutes and 11 seconds, marking Walsh’s first loss in 22 fights (21-1 14 KO).

Davis remains unbeaten after 18 fights.