Matchroom Boxing: Rees Wins Prizefighter Light Welterweights
© Jane Warburton / Saddo Boxing
Former WBA Champion Gavin Rees is the Prizefighter Light Welterweights Champion. Rees, 29, claimed the title with a unanimous points decision victory over Colin Lynes in a thrilling final at the National Hall in London’s Olympia.
The Prizefighter trophy was presented to Rees by former undisputed super middleweight World Champion Joe Calzaghe, who, ironically, trains at the same gym as Rees.
“To be honest, winning this feels better than winning the world title,” admitted Rees. “I’ve been out of the limelight for so long and no one expected me to win a world title but absolutely no one thought I would win this.
“I’ve definitely had a point to prove as a lot of people on all the forums have said I wasn’t big enough and wasn’t good enough to win it. It was tough as I was boxing boys a lot bigger than me. I was boxing at 10st 3lb when I normally box at 9st 9lb.
“It was a cracking last fight and I thought it was really close. He was hitting me on the chin and I was seeing stars and wondering what’s happening. But I still knew I had done enough to win it.”
Rees looked in top form throughout the evening and he began by dismantling former European Champion Ted Bami with relative ease in the quarter-final, winning on points as all three judges gave him every round.
Welshman Rees continued to look a class act in his semi-final as he recorded the first knockdown of the night as he floored Jason Cook on his way to another unanimous points triumph, this time by margins of 29-28, 29-26, 28-27.
Cook had been fortunate to advance in his quarter-final tie with previously undefeated Londoner Michael Grant. After a poor start, Grant appeared on top in the last round but a bad cut, sustained earlier in a bloody contest via an accidental head-clash that left both men marked, got worse and referee Ian John Lewis stopped it with just under 50 seconds left.
In the other half of the draw, Colin Lynes moved into the final with hard-fought split decision victories over David Barnes and Young Mutley.
Lynes gained a triumph over Barnes by 28-29, 29-28 and 29-28 scorelines. A controversial knockdown in the last round against Mutley, which the Midlander was furious with, helped Lynes to victory by 30-27, 28-29 and 30-27 margins.
This contest had been a rematch of a British title fight and Lynes was again the man who had his arm raised although Mutley was furious with the decision, believing he should have been the one advancing into the final.
Mutley had made the final four with a classy points win over Barrie Jones, who stepped into the competition at short notice after Barry Morrison had to withdraw due to illness.