HITMAN FIGHT A SMASH HIT

COLM SHALVEY

Stephen McKenna claimed the WBC International Silver Super Welterweight title by stopping Joe Laws in a wild three-round battle in Barnsley that has been described as the “fight of the year”. As part of the Zak Chelli vs Callum Simpson undercard at Oakwell Stadium, McKenna and Laws brought a bumper crowd to their feet as they traded blows in an all-action first round that saw both fighters suffer knockdowns. After a high-profile build-up, McKenna looked set to take care of business very early on when he had his opponent on the canvas, but Englishman Laws gave a timely reminder of his threat when he responded with a knockdown of his own. The chaos continued into the second as both fighters landed big hits and rocked each other, but The Hitman took control in round three, knocking Laws three times. Laws spat out his mouthguard to buy some time, but his third visit to the canvas left him unable to continue, prompting his corner to throw in the towel. The crowd rose to their feet as McKenna claimed the belt after taking his professional boxing record to ….