HARRISON RETAINS WBO BELT WITH FOURTH-ROUND KNOCKOUT
OVER BRODIE,
JENNINGS REMAINS UNDEFEATED WITH NINTH-ROUND TKO OF DOWN
ON A “SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION” DOUBLEHEADER
FROM M.E.N. ARENA, MANCHESTER, ENGLAND
In the first of back-to-back world title fight nights on
SHOWTIME, World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight champion Scott
Harrison successfully defended his title for the fifth-straight time by
knocking out Michael Brodie in the fourth round Friday. In the “ShoBox:
The New Generation” co-feature, unbeaten Michael Jennings stopped Gavin
Down in the ninth round of a scheduled 10-round welterweight bout. The
doubleheader, which took place at the M.E.N. Arena, was promoted by Frank
Warren’s Sports Network and aired at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West
Coast). The telecast was the 63rd in the popular “ShoBox”
series, which debuted on SHOWTIME in July 2001.
Harrison (24-2-2, 14 KOs), of Glasgow, Scotland,
staggered Brodie in the first round and exchanged blows with him the next
two. In the fourth, the champion landed a left hook to the kidney,
sending Brodie to the canvas. Brodie was counted out at the 46-second
mark. Harrison’s superior strength proved too much for Brodie’s tactical
skills. Harrison became Scotland’s first featherweight champion, eighth
world titleholder overall
Brodie (35-3-1, 23 KOs), of Manchester,
fought well during the first three rounds. After nine minutes, he was
leading on two scorecards, 29-28 (the third judge had Harrison ahead
29-28). Brodie, the hometown favorite, had a large contingent of
boisterous fans urging him on. But, despite a valiant effort, he took too
many clean shots from Harrison to continue the fast-paced fight. This was
Brodie’s fourth and final world title bout opportunity, as he announced
his retirement after the match. He came closest to winning a world title
on Oct. 18, 2003, in his hometown when he fought to a 12-round draw with
World Boxing Council (WBC) featherweight championship against Injin Chi.
The judges scored the fight 113-113 twice and 112-114.
Jennings (26-0, 12 KOs), of Preston, England, had his way with Down,
controlling the tempo of the fight from the opening bell. The cagey ring
warrior systematically stalked Down, ultimately pinning him to the ropes
in the ninth with a relentless assault, prompting the stoppage at 0:33 of
the round. Through eight rounds, Jennings led on the referee’s scorecard,
79-74. With the victory, the WBO No. 1 contender kept himself in line for
a world title bout. He made his “ShoBox” debut on April 1, 2004, in
Bethnal Green, England, and easily retained his World Boxing Union (WBU)
title for the second time by scoring a fifth-round TKO over British
Central Area Welterweight Champion Brett James.
Down
(29-6, 14 KOs), of Chesterfield, England, was a late addition to the
card. He held his ground for much of the bout, withstanding barrages of
Jennings’ jabs and hooks. Down captured the vacant British (Midland Area)
welterweight crown on Nov. 25, 2004, by registering a 10-round decision
(98-93) over Steve Brumant.
On Saturday, June
4, in a highly anticipated match-up that has the makings of a classic,
International Boxing Federation (IBF)
Junior Welterweight
Champion Kostya Tszyu will defend against undefeated IBF No. 1 contender
Ricky Hatton on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on
the West Coast) from M.E.N. Arena
For information on “ShoBox: The New
Generation” and SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecasts, including complete
fighter bios, records, related stories and more, please go the SHOWTIME
website at
