IBO Oceania belt brings big boost for boxing talent Bowyn Morgan – The Press

MAT KERMEEN

Last updated09:33, April 10 2017

DAVID WALKER/FAIRFAX NZ

Bowyn Morgan is the new IBO Oceania super welterweight champion following his impressive win over Gunnar Jackson.

Bowyn Morgan is pledging to make 2017 a defining year of a career that is now well and truly ascending.

He made a giant stride towards that goal when he delivered the most polished performance of his professional career with aunanimous decision victory over Gunnar Jacksonto lift the vacant International Boxing Organisation (IBO) Oceania super welterweight belt on Friday night.

"The sky's the limit now. We're back to where we need to be," Morgan said following his popular winat the Hornby Working Men's Club.

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Bowyn Morgan defeated Gunnar Jackson for the second time on Friday night.

"Potentially this has opened up some really big doors for me going forward."

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Who will be behind those doors is yet to be determined but Morgan'strainer PhilShatfordis convinced Morgan is the best welterweight in the country and wants to fight anyone willing in New Zealand at the weight to prove it.

IAIN McGREGOR/FAIRFAX NZ

Bowyn Morgan and his trainer and manager Phil Shatford will take a few days off being looking at options for their next opponent.

Morgan's only defeat was a stoppage loss to Australian Kris George back in July 2016, a fight he was in control of until he got caught with a damaging blow from George. A rematch is on the Morgan camp's agenda.

Morgan, theNZNBFwelterweight champion, progressed his record to 11-1 with the victory over Jackson andsaid having a title with the IBO will open up some major opportunities at bothwelter and welterweight.

All three judges scored the 10 round contest 99-11, significantly more one-sided thanMorgan's first win over Jackson.

Morgan and Shatfordbelieve they have come a long way since that 2016 win and that proved to be the case.

As one-sided as it was on the scorecards, Jackson never stopped trying and the contest more than lived up to its lofty pre-fight expectations.

Morgan may have been the winner but Jackson did more than enough to earn his fair share of the standing ovation both fighters received at the final bell.

"To win this title here in my hometown with this support it just makes me so much more confident for future fights," Morgan said.

Morgan and Shatford paid tribute to the toughness of Jackson, whose face looked like the that of a man who had lost a one-sided 10 round fight.

Like their first fight, Morgan's powerful body punches took their toll on Jackson.

"During the third and fourth rounds he hurt my ribs quite badly but there's no excuses, we pushed through the 10 rounds and the better man one on the night," Jackson said.

In a display of pure grit, Jackson found another gear and had one of his most successful rounds in the last three minutes of the fight but Morgan put that success down to his own fatigue.

"When he started digging deep I was thinking this is my hometown and you aren't doing this to me."

Given the pace of the fight, Morgan can be forgiven for tiring in the final round but he finished the final seconds off with a flurry of punches that hurt Jackson and struck a chord with thesizeable crowd.

Morgan was happy with how he controlled the fight and his own mental toughness to continue working through the 10 rounds at a hectic pace.

"I feel like my fitness is something that will never let me down. It's like I can always go that extra mile if I needto," Morgansaid.

Jackson paid credit to Morgan and labelled the Canterbury boxer as having a "big future".

He planned to take a week or two off and spend time with his family before deciding his next move but was vowing to fight on.

"I reckon there is still a couple of more fights left in me," Jackson said.

Earlier in the night,Nort Beauchamp defeated Nikora Lee-Kingi by unanimous decision, over six rounds, to advance his record to (13-1).

-Stuff

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IBO Oceania belt brings big boost for boxing talent Bowyn Morgan - The Press