Top of the bill at the Bristol City Academy last night was the British middleweight title fight between Nick Blackwell and Jack Arnfield.
Arnfield, who took the fight with just eight days? notice, after Blackwell?s original opponent Elliott Matthews withdrew courtesy of a cut suffered in training, put on a spirited display and took Blackwell the distance, losing a unanimous points decision.
The judges may have scored the fight:-
? 117-111
? 117-110
and
? 115-112
but Arnfield should be credited for never giving up and for, despite picking up a nasty cut above his left-eye, went twelve rounds for the first time in his career.
Although Blackwell started the slower of the two fighters, being caught with some jabs and some upper-cuts, he showed his calibre by producing a classy body-shot to drop Arnfield to the canvas in the fifth round.
After being awarded the verdict, Blackwell had this to say about his defence of the British middleweight title,
‘I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy fight – but I didn’t think it would be that hard.
‘I hit him with some good shots, but he’s a tough kid and he took them. I’m still learning and it’s going to take time.?
And on his immediate plans, Blackwell revealed,
‘I’m going to spar Spike O’Sullivan next week ahead of his fight with Chris Eubank Jr and then I’ll be back in the gym to learn a few more things.’
It?s onwards and upwards for Blackwell but, like I said earlier, Arnfield was far from disgraced and will be given the opportunity to come again.
Blackwell Retains British Middleweight Title
