Magee retains title with faultless performance

BELFAST’S Brian Magee turned in a near faultless display to see off rugged South African Andre Thysse and retain his IBO super-middleweight title for the fourth time at the MEN Arena in Manchester.

Thysse had come into the fight on the back of a good win over Ipswich's David Starie to claim the Commonwealth tile.

However, he just could not cope with Magee's slick movement and fast hands and the champion took his record to 19-0 with a tenth round stoppage win.

Magee made light of a huge height disadvantage from the opening bell connecting with several hurtful straight lefts in the opening round.

The pattern was repeated for the next few rounds as Magee continued to back up his right jab with a series of solid looking lefts to the challenger's head.

A cracking right hook sent spray flying from Thysse's face in the sixth, and Magee upped the tempo further in the seventh with a barrage of classy combinations.

Another vicious onslaught late on in the ninth caused referee Paul Thomas to take a long hard look at the challenger and the official rightly put Thysse out of his misery after a number of impressive flurries from Magee in the tenth.

"I knew I had to start fast because this guy was full of confidence after his last win," said Magee.

"But I just didn't allow him to get into the contest and I'm very pleased with my display I'm right up there in the Premiership now."

James Hare added the WBF welterweight crown to his Commonwealth title with an impressive win over dangerous Ukrainian Roman Dzuman.

The eastern European had lost just one of his previous 17 fights and that was a contentious points defeat against IBO champion Jawaid Khaliq. But he could have no complaints this time as Hare produced a text-book display of boxing on the counter to emerge victorious by 120-109, 119-108 and 120-108.