Alex Arthur Wins Battle Of The Super Featherweights

Edinburgh's Alex Arthur is the new British and Commonwealth Super Featherweight Champion after his nine round stoppage win against Craig Docherty at Meadowbank last night.

Despite talk of poor ticket sales, Docherty made his way to the ring first in a cauldron-like atmosphere generated by a packed and partisan crowd who raised the roof for Alex Arthur's entrance soon aftwerwards.

But despite Docherty's reputation as a slow starter and the hostile atmosphere, it was the Glasgow man who made the stronger start, settling quickly and with determination written all over his face.

Arthur for his part looked sluggish and going into the fourth was a round or two behind Hot Property Docherty. But any thoughts of an upset disappeared when Arthur started to find his stride and began to piece together some quality punches. An uppercut tore into Docherty, breaking his nose, and the all too familiar sight of the bloody face of Craig Docherty signalled a big turning point in the fight.

For the next five rounds Docherty would have serious trouble breathing and he wouldn't trouble Alex Arthur again. The Edinburgh boxer was now in complete control, outgunning Docherty with flurries of punches and the best defensive work we've seen from him to date.

In the seventh he began to really pile on the pressure and it took all the courage a flagging Docherty could muster to come out for the eighth. After the raised tempo of the previous round, Arthur eased off the gas in round eight, but it was just a lull before the storm of round nine that would see Docherty stopped by another Arthur combination, with a right handed rib bender sending the Glasgow man to the canvas.

Nobody can doubt Craig Docherty's heart, but equally nobody can doubt that Alex Arthur has finally laid the ghost of Michael Gomez to rest after this performance.

The easily riled Gomez was ringside for this one as promised, looking every inch a man who wanted to be next into the ring at the boxing booths of old.

But with such a convincing win over Craig Docherty, Alex Arthur must surely be rated the number one Super Featherweight in Europe. And rather than go down the road of fighting for minor world titles or go over old ground with Gomez, he should be given the chance to prove this by taking the title from the current Champion, Boris Sinitsin.

Arthur would beat Sinitisin on last night's form and then the world stage and the chance to fight for a genuine world title would beckon. Such are the potential rewards for victory at Meadowbank last night.

As for Craig Docherty, the future looks much less certain. Arthur would need to relinquish the British title if crowned European champion, but whether Craig will be content to spend the rest of his career campaigning at domestic level remains to be seen.

There were also wins for Barrie Lee, Ricky Burns, Gary Young and Scott Flynn - full undercard report to follow.

Posted by scottish-boxing at April 9, 2005 11:04 AM