‘Beefy’ Smith, Scott Fitzgerald, and David Price Victorious in Liverpool

The final weekend of March was a relatively slow weekend in Europe, but there was plenty of action in Liverpool where Matchroom Boxing honcho Eddie Hearn presented a 10-bout card with a local fighter in every match, a reflection of the robust boxing scene in England’s fourth-largest city.

In the main go of Hearn’s card at the newly named M&S Arena, former WBO 154-pound champion Liam “Beefy” Smith had little trouble putting away former sparring partner Sam Eggington whose right eye started swelling in the third frame and eventually closed to where he was fighting with one eye.

Beefy was having no trouble landing his left when the referee called a halt in round five. With the win he improved his ledger to 27-2-1 (13). His only losses came at the hands of Canelo Alvarez and Jaime Munguia. Eggington (24-6) was participating in his first significant fight since suffering a stunning second round KO at the hands of Tanzania’s obscure Hassan Mwakinyo.

Although no title was at stake, the contest between Liverpool’s Anthony Fowler and Scott Fitzgerald from nearby Preston could have served as the main event. The 10-round match at 154 pounds was a battle between undefeated fighters with strong amateur pedigrees.

One big punch in the final round, a left hook that knocked Fowler down hard, turned the contest in favor of Fitzgerald who won a split and rather controversial decision. One of the judges had the Liverpudlian on top 96-94, but he was overruled by his colleagues who both had it 95-94 for Fitzgerald who improved to 13-0. Fowler, now 9-1, and his victorious opponent received a warm ovation as they left the ring.

China-chinned heavyweight David Price, a 2008 Olympic bronze medalist, defeated Birmingham’s Kash Ali who was disqualified for biting near the end of the fifth round, a round aborted after Ali wrestled Price to the floor. The six-foot-eight Price, now 24-6, came into the ring a svelte (for him) 252 pounds. He was controlling the contest with his jab before things turned messy. He was bitten at least twice, both in the stomach region.

Ali, a liquor store clerk, entered the fight undefeated (15-0) but had defeated only two fighters with winning records. Asked about a rematch, Price said, “I don’t want to share a ring with an animal like that again.”

In a match in the 140-pound class with British, Commonwealth, and European belts at stake, local fan favorite Robbie Davies Jr., whose late father boxed in the 1976 Olympics, won a 12-round unanimous decision over Joe Hughes. The scores were 115-113, 115-114, and a curious 118-110. Davies, who had avenged his lone defeat in a previous bout, improved to 18-1. Hughes declined to 17-4-1.

Junior welterweight Philip Bowes (20-3, 3 KOs) successfully defended his British Empire junior welterweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Liverpool’s Tom Farrell (16-2). A late bloomer, the 34-year-old Bowes, a southpaw, has now won 11 of his last 12. The judges favored him by scores of 118-110, 118-111, and 117-112.

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