Deeside boxer Tom Doran took a major step towards the big time on Saturday night when he won the latest installment of the Prizefighter series.
The unbeaten 27-year-old landed the £32,000 first prize along with a £2,000 knock out bonus when he stopped Cello Renda in the third round of the middleweight final.
Doran returned to boxing in 2014 after a three-year hiatus and his win at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, shown live on Sky Sports, represents the biggest achievement of his stop-start career to date.
"I like proving people wrong, and I think I’ve done that," said Doran after beating Renda.
"Onwards and upwards now, I’m putting the inactivity behind me and looking to the future."
First up for the Deesider was a quarter-final against Birmingham’s tricky southpaw Craig Cunningham, who had an identical 11-0 professional record.
Doran could not have made a better start, stiffening Cunningham’s legs with an early jab before hurting the Midlander with a firm right hand.
Connah's Quay fighter Doran then scored a knockdown to secure a 10-8 round, even though replays showed his overhand right did not land clean.
The second session saw Cunningham use his more controlled boxing to get back in the bout, but Doran then dominated the third and won a unanimous decision by scores of 30-26, 30-27 and 29-27.
After the contest, Doran said: "It was clear that I’d won it. To score the knockdown in the first round was massive."
The semi-final saw Doran come up against Ireland’s Luke Keeler, the pre-tournament favourite who had former WBO world middle and super-middleweight champion Steve Collins in his corner.
There was talk that Keeler had a damaged right hand, but that did not seem to affect the Dubliner too badly as he threw plenty of shots from both mitts.
However, Doran was calm and composed throughout, picking his punches beautifully to win the opening two rounds and leaving Keeler looking somewhat ragged.
The Irishman staged a spirited rally in the last, but Doran took the verdict 29-28 on all three scorecards.
The winner said afterwards: "I’ve got the difficult southpaw and the favourite out of the way, now there’s no reason why I can’t win the final."
Before the final against Renda, the bill featured the latest contest in the career of unbeaten lightweight Scotty Cardle.
Doran may have been hoping Cardle’s bout with Bulgarian Yordan Vasilev would have gone the full four rounds to have given the finalists maximum rest, but the Lytham St Annes man won by a first round knockout.
This meant a quicker return than expected for Doran to the ring for the Prizefighter middleweight final.
Big-hitting Renda clearly won the opener, bloodying Doran’s nose and landing repeatedly with his right hand.
However, in the second Doran produced a fantastic comeback, reverting to his patient counter-punching and evening up the fight.
Then in the third came the magical moment for Doran and his many fans in the crowd as he caught Renda flush on the chin with a crunching left hook.
The Peterborough fighter went down and looked spent and although he just beat the count he offered no argument when the bout was stopped with one minute 44 seconds on the clock.
As well as receiving the Prizefighter trophy and £32,000 cash prize, Doran scooped another £2,000 for winning the final by knockout.
Asked about his slow start, Doran said: "Cello’s a massive puncher and you’ve got to take that into account. I got the first out of the way and picked it up from there.
"I’ve kept my unbeaten record, I’m £34,000 richer and as for the fans who came to see me I can’t thank them enough."
Doran, who confirmed he will stay in the middleweight division, hopes his Prizefighter success will now open the door for some big title fights down the line.
