BBC Sport provides details of the undercard of the Joe Calzaghe and Enzo Maccarinelli title fights at the Cardiff International Arena. Pontypool welterweight Tony Doherty continued the colourful start to his professional career with a first-round stoppage of Northern Ireland's Paul McIlwaine.
McIlwaine is something of a knockout specialist - he has been KO'd eight times in his 11 professional starts - and he could offer nothing against the talented Welshman.
Doherty, in his second pro fight, again brought a huge contingent of family and friends to swell the numbers at the CIA.
There was some confusion over his nick-name, though.
The fighter likes to style himself as 'The Doh,' but sewn into the front of his shorts was the title 'The Dog' - a fine epithet for a travelling fighter!
It was a less than comfortable night for Wales' Commonwealth Games golden boy, Jamie Arthur.
The Cwmbran light-welterweight was pitched in against Northern Ireland's James Gorman, who was making his professional debut.
Arthur controlled the first two rounds, but did not show the firepower to stop the burly Gorman walking through his punches.
Gorman started to land on the home favourite and Arthur looked decidedly wobbly by the end of the four-round bout.
The Welshman had done enough to impress the referee, though, and he walked away with a 39-37 decision.
Cwmbran middleweight Gary 'Rocket Man' Lockett had a night to forget at the CIA.
He looked lethargic against the silky skills of Michael Monaghan, who had been sparring with Calzaghe in the build-up to the bout.
Monaghan toyed with his man throughout the 10 rounds, with Lockett struggling to find his range.
Since his move up to middleweight, the Cwmbran puncher has seemed to lack the power to trouble opponents and has discarded his all-action style in favour of a more cautious approach.
The best work came from Monaghan, and at the end of the bout Lockett's face was once again badly marked.
Much to Monaghan's disgust, though, the verdict went to Lockett, 97-95.
In an honest post-fight interview, a tortured Lockett acknowledged the failings of his performance, apologised to his fans and said he simply had to improve.
Newbridge featherweight Gavin 'the Rock' Rees took out his title frustrations on an unfortunate Daniel Thorpe.
Rees was supposed to get his shot at the WBU featherweight title against Kevin Lear, but the Londoner withdrew with a shoulder injury, the second time that the fight has been postponed.
A fired-up Rees blasted into late stand-in Thorpe from the start, dropping his man twice in the first round before the referee put an end to the carnage.
Rees' record now stands at 20-0 (10 KOs) and he will be champing at the bit for his chance at Lear.
Pembroke puncher Scott 'the Hammer' Gammer wasted no time on his Showtime debut.
He was due to fight for the network in May, but as the unfortunately named 'floater' on the bill his bout was cut due to time restraints.
Finally given his chance, the big-punching heavyweight tore into a hapless Dave Clarke, dropping him three times in the first round to take his professional record to 5-0 (4 KOs).
Mountain Ash light-heavyweight Nathan King opened the night's entertainment at the CIA, but was lucky to emerge with a points win in a four-round encounter with Armenian asylum seeker Varuzhan Dautyan.
King was easily the better boxer, but rather than keeping his opponent on the end of an effective jab he allowed the rough-house Armenian to get close and bully him.
Dautyan opened a small cut near King's eye in the fourth, but then a careless butt from the Armenian set a torrent flowing from King's forehead.
With ringside observers fearing for their laundry bills, the bout would surely have been stopped if there were more than a few seconds left.
King emerged a fortunate points winner, with the referee rather implausibly awarding him all four rounds.
MMIX
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
