Tommy Coyle overcame four knockdowns to retain his IBF international lightweight title against Daniel Brizuela in Hull.
In one of the wildest fights you could ever wish to see, Coyle was always on the back foot after he was dropped by a right hand in the second round.
A sickening body shot put him down again in the sixth and when he crumpled to the floor again in his own corner later in the round the game looked up.
But, showing tremendous heart, the local boy bravely fought his way back into the fight and after being docked a point early in the eighth for repeated low blows, he caught his Argentinian foe with right hook that put him down.
Brizuela made it to the bell on unsteady legs, and suddenly Coyle was on top, if not ahead on the scorecards.
Brizuela was then surprisingly penalised for a low blow in the ninth that had Coyle down and gasping for oxygen, and the heads came together in the 10th in a tangle that saw a cut open up above Brizuela’s left eye.
Drama
The Argentine seemed to have caught his second wind though in a close 10th round, but there was further drama to come.
The 11th was the best of the fight – Brizuela digging spiteful left hooks to the body that once again had Coyle over, his face twisted in pain.
Remarkably Coyle not only beat the count but threw a huge right over the top that sent his opponent crashing heavily to the canvas.
Brizuela beat the count on wobbly legs but a combination of punches put him down for a second time in the round. Coyle’s eagerness to finish it saw him deducted another point for hitting on the break as scorecards were torn apart in a rip-roaring finale.
Into the final round it seemed that Coyle to win it to have any chance of retaining his title – and it was barely 30 seconds old before Brizuela was down again to a big right cross.
Once again he beat the count but he didn’t have much left and when he went over for a fourth time, referee Steve Gray called it off despite the determined South American rising at the count of six.
The packed Ice Arena was ecstatic as Coyle deservedly took all the plaudits coming his way.
Campbell’s fifth professional win was far more straightforward as he picked Scott Moises apart before stopping him in the sixth round.
Afterwards, Campbell praised his opponent. “All credit to Scott Moises he’s very tough. It was a tricky fight,” he said. “It was his tactic to try and frustrate me, but I stuck to my shots. I got there in the end.”
The emotion on the night came from Woodhouse, who fulfilled his lifetime dream of becoming British champion with a split decision victory over champion Darren Hamilton.
Woodhouse had promised his dying father he would become British champion and saw that dream become reality with the best performance of his career and the last performance as he hung up his gloves after the fight.
Also on the undercard, Hull boxer Charlie Payton got his career off to an impressive start with a points victory against Kristian Laight, while Joel Haigh drew his second successive bout against Andy Harris, and Goole’s Zak Collins was beaten by 58-57 on points by Laszlo Fazekas.
