Tonight in Birmingham it was Cash vs. Denny, where Lewis Crocker defeated Conor Walker after 10 hard fought rounds to win the WBA International Welterweight belt by scores of 96-93, 96-93, 95-94. Both men gave it their all tonight and both fighters felt they had done enough to win.
(Credit: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing)
In the end, Crocker, who was big for his weight and had worked hard to make the 147-pound limit, barely emerged victorious. Walker, who was like a train all night, could easily be seen as the man who was wronged. After receiving multiple warnings, Walker was deducted a point for a low blow in the ninth round.
The 27-year-old Crocker from Belfast, Northern Ireland, is now 20-0 (11) and will likely advance to an all-Irish showdown with Paddy Donovan (who was at ringside predicting Walker would win tonight's hard-fought bout). Walker, two years older and from Wolverhampton, has 13-3 losses and one draw (5). All the fans who watched tonight's fight will be hoping for a return fight, but a rematch seems unlikely.
Tonight, both fighters gave it their all, and in the final third, a good match turned into a great match. Tonight, Walker worked hard and pressed the whole time, while Crocker was quick and explosive. Who won was a matter of preference (ESB predicts Walker 95-94). The pace was fast from the start, and the match climaxed in the 8th round.
Both fighters got to the body, both were throwing punches against the fence, but Crocker especially was tiring. The fans were on their feet. Walker had a badly swollen right eye, poor vision, and a bit of a chin, but Crocker was clearly hot inside and on fire out of nowhere. Even before the fight started, the fans were expecting a great fight between these two, and Crocker and Walker lived up to their expectations.
This fight may go down in history as a British Fight of the Year contender, and again, I'd love a rematch – Walker deserves it.
