Super welterweight prospect Junaid Bostan (9-0, 7 KOs) scored an emphatic eighth-round knockout against a tough Jack Martin (9-2, 4 KOs) in the chief support of Peter McGrail vs. Marc Leach tonight at the Exhibition Centre in Liverpool, England.

“I wouldn’t call it perfect, seven out of 10. I put a lot into it, first title, co-main, I have a lot to work with but I’m very happy with the performance,” said Bostan.

Bostan started the first round calmly behind his left hand jab, but it wouldn't take long for his explosiveness to shine through. At the halfway stage of the opener, Bostan landed a straight left-right combination to stun Martin. Bostan pounced with another big right to the head seconds later. Martin took another two right hands with just over a minute on the clock and Bostan ripped the body just before the bell.  

A jittery Martin pressed forward to begin round two as Bostan picked away to the body with his left hand. Bostan again landed an eye-catching left to the body as the final minute approached. Switching his stance all night, Bostan landed another crowd pleasing counter with a smart left to the head. However, Martin landed a flush right hand as the bell rang that drew a smile from his opponent. 

Martin again pressed forward to begin the third, but Bostan was happy picking him off on the back foot. A left uppercut was well timed from Bostan as 60 seconds passed, a left uppercut followed 40 seconds later, but the pace had slowed. 

Martin scored with a glancing combination to open round four. However, Bostan took charge with a right uppercut-left hook that Martin took admirably. Bostan went to the body and followed with a sharp right upstairs midway through the round, and he was looking levels above the Southern Area champion. Bostan closed the period with a left hook to the head. 

By the fifth, Martin desperately needed to claim a round, but Bostan’s dominance continued as he subtly switched his stance. However, Martin landed a rare clean right hand at the halfway stage. Bostan worked on the back foot until the end of Martin’s most productive session but would take another stalling left-right combination on the bell. 

The pace slowed as round six progressed but Bostan was still in firm control. He landed a nice right to the head after the first minute and Martin hit the canvas after a left to the body, but the shot was ruled an illegal blow. Bostan attacked the body again to see out the round against a still tough and game Martin. 

Martin pressed in the seventh but Bostan countered with another good left hand to stop the offense. Bostan showboated in an attempt to draw Martin in towards the close of the session, but it was the fight’s dullest round so far. The eighth started with Bostan smartly picking off the oncoming Martin. Bostan loaded up to land a left uppercut to the chin that sent Martin tumbling to the canvas after 49 seconds of the round. Martin admirably rose to his feet, but referee Marcus McDonnell called a halt to the contest.

Local middleweight prospect Stephen Clarke moved to 3-0 with a wide points victory against Estonian Artjom Spatar (4-8-1) over four rounds. 

The first round saw local man Clarke control the majority. However, Spatar landed a head-rattling combination to end the round as the pair traded. Both men continued to come forward to start the second. Action followed for the next two minutes with the pair both letting their hands go and both taking clean shots. 

It was either man’s fight going into the third. Clarke landed a left hand to begin, shortly followed by a glancing uppercut. Clarke looked to assert himself scoring with a left to the body, Spatar was being outworked and had gone quiet. Clarke got on his back foot to smartly box his way through until the end, landing a reaching shot on the bell.

Clarke again started the sharper to begin round four as Spartar’s attack had now become slow and predictable. The Liverpudlian stuck behind his jab and straight right hand until the end. Referee Steve Gray scored every round for Clarke, marking it 40-36.