WYTHENSHAWE could soon have its first world boxing champion if rising featherweight star Andy Morris continues at his current rate of progress.

So says former WBA champion Barry McGuigan, who watched approvingly from ringside as the 23-year-old made a successful first defence of his British title with a points win over Rendall Munroe in Edinburgh on Saturday night.

Morris was less than pleased with his night's work, despite chalking up 116-113, 116-113, 117-112 verdicts on the scorecards of the three judges.

But Irish hero McGuigan felt the Commonwealth Games 2002 bronze medallist was being unnecessarily harsh on himself: "I thought he won well and showed real improvement," said McGuigan.

"He showed great lateral movement and threw some good body shots early in the fight. I think he is a really special kid.

"He lacks a bit of power but that will come with confidence, and sitting down on his punches at close range - that will all come in due course. He can win the European and possibly a world title."

Morris, who extended his unblemished professional record to 14 straight wins, had his work cut out against the supremely fit and highly-motivated Leicester fighter Munroe, who had himself won his first 10 pro contests.

But Morris was the more polished boxer and punched more effectively throughout to claim a clear margin on the scorecards, before expressing his dissatisfaction with his own display: "It was a tough fight, but I made him look better than he was, without any disrespect.

Slow

"I just couldn't get out of second gear. My timing was out, I was too slow and I was getting hit with shots that I never normally get hit with," he said.

"If people liked that performance, I have to say I have a hell of a lot more to show. It wasn't a great performance."

Munroe had tried to ruffle the unflappable Morris with abuse at the weigh-in on Friday, but the quiet Wythenshawe lad's response was an enigmatic smile which he carried into the ring.
"Actions speak louder than words," he said afterwards.

Morris held all the aces throughout, despite Munroe's attempts to disrupt the champion's smooth flow with pressure and a high volume of punches.

Munroe prides himself on his fitness and was hoping that Morris would wilt - but that is a forlorn hope given the spartan training regime which Openshaw trainer Bob Shannon puts his fighters through, including runs up and down Snowdon with ankle and wrist weights.

A good night for Shannon got even better as he also played a significant part in the bill-topping fight, Scottish hero Alex Arthur's defence of his European super-featherweight title against tough Belarussian Sergey Gulyakevich.

Shannon doubles as a cuts man these days, and he had his work cut out when Arthur suffered a gash above the eye following a clash of heads in the third round.

Shannon stemmed the flow of blood and when Gulyakevich sustained a worse cut after another accidental collision in the seventh, the referee called the fight off.

Arthur won on the judges' scorecards according to European rules.

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