Sunday 26 March 2017 02:48, UK
Jack Arnfield settled his local rivalry with Brian Rose after completing a points victory over the fellow Blackpool man at Manchester Arena.
The 27-year-old middleweight claimed the bragging rights after grinding out a unanimous decision win with scores of 115-113 115-113 and 116-112, leaving Rose to consider his future in the sport.
Tempers had flared at the pre-fight weigh-in, with the former gym-mates clashing heads, but a slow-burning start to the fight saw Rose land a few right hands in the opener.
Rose tried to dictate an edgy, tentative encounter with stiff jabs and straight right hands in the second round, while Arnfield continued to patiently stalk his old sparring partner in the third.
There was more ambition from Arnfield in the fourth as he unloaded a clubbing right hand and would then switch his steady assault to Rose's ribs in the sixth.
Rose continued to box neatly off the back foot, but his swollen nose was evidence of Arnfield's superior power.
As they headed into the closing rounds, both fighters tried to catch the eyes of the judges, and Arnfield pumped out punches until the final bell to earn a narrow victory on two of the scorecards.
On a busy bill, light-heavyweight Hosea Burton healed a few mental scars from his first professional defeat after a comfortable points win over Tamas Kozma.
The 28-year-old suffered a stunning final round knockout defeat to Frank Buglioni last December in the same venue and stayed on course for a rematch after flooring Kozma with a body shot on the way to a wide 80-71 victory.
