CLINTON WOODS squared up to his demons in Jersey on Saturday night – then proceeded to punch them to oblivion.
The Sheffield man, whose clear unanimous points victory over ‘Kosovo Kid’ Elvir Muriqi puts him in a prime position to regain his IBF light-heavyweight title, from either the incumbent Chad Dawson or his challenger Antonio Tarver, admitted that his confident pre-fight talk had masked serious personal doubts. Did he still have what it takes?
But although his nerves and rustiness were clear in the early rounds – this was Woods’ first visit to the ring since losing his title in disastrous fashion to Tarver last April – Muriqi, significantly, also started slowly.
Enjoying near total support from an animated home crowd, the bigger Woods edged the early rounds even as he toiled to get into a rhythm. But if the younger and highly-rated Muriqi (the 29-year-old was widely thought to have beaten ‘Magic Man’ Tarver in a majority points reverse) was holding back then he had made a major error.
For as Woods grew in confidence so his jab became smoother and more accurate; going forward his strength gave Muriqi little scope to counter.
• Words: Ron Felton • Picture sales: Click here
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Clinton Woods and Elvir Muriqi at the weigh-innextpage
Jamie McDonnell in a bantam-weight fight against Kraston Krastinov from Bulgarianextpage
Jamie McDonnell in a bantam-weight fight against Kraston Krastinov from Bulgarianextpage
Clinton Woods, from Sheffield, and Elvir Muriqi, from Kosovonextpage
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