British Boxing: Thaxton Seizes Lightweight Crown With Stirring Victory Over Meager

Fourteen years after his father told him that, if he was going to become a professional boxer, winning a British title would make him the most proud, Norwich’s John Thaxton broke down in tears after finally accomplishing that goal on Friday night.

Headlining the Sky Sports televised bill at the Goresbrook Leisure Centre in Dagenham, a fired up Thaxton, 31-7 (16), capitalised on his extra size and experience to seize the British lightweight title from Salford’s Lee Meager, 20-2-1 (7).

Despite being the older man by 4 years, he used his faster hands and feet to full effect throughout, comprehensively outboxing his more fancied opponent and consistently landing the cleaner, more powerful blows over the twelve round distance to win a landslide points decision – punctuated by a jolting final round knockdown.

Thaxton, 32, had twice fallen short in British title challenges heading into last night’s contest, but against Meager fought like the proverbial man possessed, shrugging off a nasty gash on his right eye-lid to leave no doubt as to who the best 135-pounder in Britain currently is.

Having only recently dropped down from the light welterweight division – where he shared a ring with the likes of Ricky Hatton, Emmanuel Augustus and Eamonn Magee – the much bulkier Thaxton clearly had the greater weight of shot. Whereas Meager was consistently sickened by wonderfully delivered counters, Thaxton rarely, if at all, appeared troubled by his determined opponent’s offensive outbursts.

Meager’s well schooled punches, in fact, seemed to merely bounce off him. It was hugely significant, and became increasingly obvious with each passing round.

Crouching low, switch-hitting and punching in bunches, Thaxton was the boss throughout, only briefly losing his composure in the middle rounds when a thick flow of blood began to blur his vision. The cut, caused by a punch, appeared to be potentially contest threatening but, after being expertly stemmed in between rounds, was not a concern for long. And as the blood on his face slowly disappeared, so too did Meager’s greatest hope of defending his title.

There was no containing Thaxton as he quickly settled back into his rhythm. Looking to finish strong he landed flush with painful regularity, culminating in a 4-punch combination that finally crumbled Meager’s resistance and sent him sagging to the canvas. Though he bravely rose to his feet and continued to attack Thaxton, he and everyone else in attendance must have known who the night belonged to.

An emotional Thaxton dedicated the stirring victory to his family, his face frozen in a smile, before adding: “There must be an easier way to earn a living.”

In other action:

Kreshnick Qato W PTS 10 Simeon Cover

John O’Donnell W KO 2 Ernie Smith

Darren Barker W KO 1 Paul Samuels

John Murray W PTS 6 Billy Smith

Steven Spartacus L PTS 6 Ayittey Powers

Lee Purdey W RSF 3 Deniss Sirjatros

Courtesy www.frankmaloney.com