FORMER light-heavyweight world champion Lyndon Arthur narrowly avoided an upset on the cards after tonight's main event in Bolton.
The 33-year-old was taken over the course of 10 rounds by Liam Cameron from Sheffield who returned to the ring last year after a long absence from the sport.
When the final bell rang for the fight to end it was seen that Arthur had done enough to win but the judge Steve Gray scored the contest 95-93 in favor of Cameron. However, the two remaining officials – Jesus Morata Garcia and Michel Maksiuta – preferred Arthur's work giving him the victory 95-93 and 97-91, respectively.
Speaking on Channel 5 after his win over Arthur, 24-2 (16 KOs) he was disappointed with his performance.
“Sub-par,” he described it.
“I thought the last card was wide. I thought I almost won. Well done to Liam. I may have dropped my level there but I got the W which is the most important thing.”
On Thursday at the scale Arthur came in eight ounces over 175lb and was asked if that played a part in his “sub-par” performance.
“Maybe I misjudged the weight,” he replied. “It will never happen again. I got a W, that's all that matters. It is what it is.”
Arthur, who holds a win over Anthony Yarde on his record, is hungry to get back on top of his home rivals and Londoner Dan Azeez has been on his radar for some time.
“I want to get into big fights,” he said. “Anyone who makes sense. I will never do that again. But fair play to Liam. That was his big chance. He went well.”
Being part of tonight's headliner at Bolton Whites Hotel is a huge boost to the career of Cameron, 23-6 (10 KOs), who has spent four years in the boxing wilderness banned from the sport after testing positive. (25 nanograms) of benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, in 2020. Facing Arthur was a big step up in class for the 33-year-old but on a night he showed he can get on with the game and keep putting himself together. in a good company in the UK.
Cameron was on top early looking to upset Arthur but his nose was bleeding from a well-tried left jab that was checked by his opponent which worked well.
At the end of the second round, punches were thrown behind the bar, first Cameron and then Arthur whose connection dropped the underdog for the second time after sitting. Referee Howard Foster gave Arthur a point early in the third for an illegal shot.
Cameron went on a successful rampage and if he had more power in his arsenal it would have been a bad night for Arthur. As it was, Arthur always reverted to his form when things went wrong.
In the middle of the stage it looked like it was an equal battle but Arthur showed signs of why he is still highly regarded and in sixth place he hit a right at the top that Cameron never saw coming. The Yorkshireman then felt the force of the law when referee Gray awarded a point for hitting a rabbit.
Arthur was always in the lead but made his life difficult on the ropes inviting pressure from Cameron who rarely backed down. At eight o'clock Arthur went hunting and looked to get down with Cameron who was struggling in the last minutes. The hunter looked outnumbered in the attack and if he had started the fight the same way he wouldn't have had to go very far.
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