In action from the undercard, John Murray proved that he is a real prospect in demolishing Dean Hickman to claim the English lightweight title with a fifth round KO, and in what was due to be a keep-busy fight for Super-bantamweight British title holder Esham Pickering, he got comprehensively outworked, outpunched and nearly got knocked out in the seventh round of eight against game journeyman Sean Hughes, who celebrated hugely, and must have pushed himself into some sort of title contention.

Afterwards, Johnny Nelson called on Pickering to retire.