Commonwealth featherweight champion Leigh Wood 22-1 (12) scored an eye-catching 10th round knockout of Ryan Doyle 17-4-1 (9) to retain his title at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, UK on Friday night.
The 30-year-old Wood dominated Doyle for much of the fight before landing a scorching left hook in the tenth frame that saw Doyle counted out at 1:34.
“Incredible. Best night of my boxing career so far, loved every minute of it,” Wood said on Sky Sports.
“I felt a little bit flat in the changing room but the crowd picked me up. I had to box smart, he’s a tough kid.
“Credit to Ryan Doyle, he’s a tough, tough kid. He was fit but I poured my heart into that camp and he wouldn’t beat me tonight no matter what.”
After a cagey start from both boxers Wood started to switch between orthodox and southpaw stances while Doyle kept applying the pressure.
In the third and fourth rounds Wood started to sit down on his punches more, ripping in hooks to the body and head.
Urged on by the crowd, the local boxer grew in confidence as he unleashed solid combinations on Doyle as he backed him into the ropes.
In the sixth stanza Wood opened up a cut around Doyle’s eye and kept up the punishing body attack.
The dogged Doyle, down on the cards, continued to press forward in the eight and ninth before Wood came storming home in the 10th.
A left hook from Wood rocked Doyle, followed up by a flurry of shots punctuated by a counter left hook that sent Doyle crashing to the canvas and unable to recover.
 scored an eye-catching 10th round knockout of Ryan Doyle 17-4-1 (9) to retain his title at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, UK on Friday night.){kind=link}