BELFAST boxer Tommy McCarthy defeated Jon-Lewis Dickinson in his British title eliminator in SSE Hydro in Glasgow on Saturday night.
McCarthy demonstrated tremendous composure in just his ninth professional fight, knocking Dickinson down in the sixth round before sealing a unanimous decision on scores of 97-92, 97-92, 98-91. Dickinson, who suffered the fifth defeat of his professional career, wasn’t lacking in effort, but struggled to catch-up with the slick skills of the former Oliver Plunkett fighter.
The bout started tentatively, with both boxers looking for an opening, but Dickinson looked the stronger of the two in the opening seconds - backing up McCarthy with a piercing jab. However, it didn’t take McCarthy long to get into his groove. In the second round, he slipped onto the back-foot in a bid to counter-punch.
Dickinson found momentary success through a jab-right hand combination in the third, but McCarthy responded with a selection of thudding body-shots. McCarthy’s blistering hand-speed set him apart as he landed a particularly impressive uppercut in the fourth, before knocking Dickinson down with a rapid flurry in the sixth. Dickinson bit down on his gum shield and saw out the remainder of the round, despite being on the receiving end of a heavy onslaught.
The English boxer recovered and displayed resilience to battle back into the contest although McCarthy’s lateral movement often left Dickinson falling short of the target. Dickinson kept piling forward in the final round, but to no avail as McCarthy cruised in the final moments of action.
McCarthy, who is trained by Brian Magee, remains unbeaten in nine contests (9-0).
