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Boxing

Witter takes title

16/09/2006

Junior Witter has at last secured his maiden world title by beating DeMarcus Corley on a unanimous points decision.

The Bradford fighter took the vacant WBC light welterweight crown with victory at Alexandra Palace last night in the evening's headline fight after the contest went the full 12 rounds.

All three judges scored Witter well ahead of Corley, however, and the 32-year-old comfortably claimed the first professional world title of his career to add to his British, Commonwealth and European belts.

The fight itself was at first a largely cagey affair, both fighters preferring to stand back and absorb pressure before hitting on the counter. Witter initially took the upper hand in the third round when a decent shot rocked his opponent off balance.

There was little else of note until round five when both boxers began to settle into the fight. Witter, who adopted an unusual upright and immobile defensive pose in the previous round, suddenly sprang into life and landed several meaningful punches.

The Bradford man had his opponent on the canvas with a heavy right-handed shot and connected on several other explosive punches in the ensuing rounds to knock his American opponent back.

Despite the fight being largely an even contest towards the end, with Corley displaying his trademark battling qualities, Witter always looked a likely winner and the judges' cards, scoring 118-112, 117-111 and 116-114, reflected this.


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