Gary Lockett also fought on the Calzaghe/Manfredo undercard, defending his lightly regarded WBU Middleweight title against Wigan southpaw Lee Blundell in a scheduled twelve round match.

Lockett, 30, of Cwmbran, Wales, was once considered a real prospect with heavy hands, and he still has World title aspirations. The only loss on his 28-1-0(19) record, against tough Yuri Tsarenko, was reversed comprehensively, although the loss did expose some flaws in Lockett's style.

Blundell, 35, of Blackpool, England, had won seventeen of his last nineteen going in to this fight, had a reasonable 23-4-2(13) resume but the figures flattered to decieve, as he did not trouble Lockett at all in the fight.

The first round began quite slowly and cautiously, but pretty soon Lockett was landing jabs and right crosses freely. Blundell lacked the firepower to stop Lockett in his tracks, who has heavy hands and a great left hook. Lockett is another member of the Enzo Calzaghe stable, having joined recently to accompany fighters such as Joe Calzaghe and Enzo Maccarinelli already training at the Newbridge gym.

The second round was even tougher for Blundell, who was catching all the punches that Lockett threw at him, culminating in a hard knockdown, which Blundell bravely rose form. He held and spoiled his way through the rest of the round, but it was merely a matter of time before Lockett caught him again. It did happen in the third round, but this time it was a body shot. Blundell wasn't expecting the punch, and it creased him over in agony. He was never going to continue from that.

Highlights


Lockett snatched his 29th win, the 20th inside the distance. He will have to hurry at 30 if he intends to make any impact on the world stage.