Robin Reid crashed to a humiliating defeat to American Jeff Lacy in their IBF super middleweight fight. The Englishman, 34, was totally outclassed by the defending champion and the fight was stopped by Reid's corner at the end of the seventh round.
Reid, who had never been on the canvas in his 43-fight career, was counted four times and had points deducted twice for holding onto the American.
"I don't think the fight should have been stopped," said Reid in Florida.
 |  I admit I took a few shots but I caught him with some good shots as well |
"Utmost respect to Jeff, he caught me with some good shots, but he didn't actually catch me clean.
"The punches that he was catching me with were decent punches, there's no doubt about that, but I was looking to carry on. I was fine and I could have gone on.
"I admit I took a few shots but I caught him with some good shots as well and a couple of them hurt him."
All three judges had the bout scored 70-57 in favor of Lacy at the time of the stoppage.
Sydney Olympian Lacy, 28, took his record to 20-0 with his 16th win inside the distance.
He is now set to take on Wales' WBO title holder Calzaghe in a big-money unification clash in Cardiff.
Lacy said: "Never doubt my punching power, never doubt my ability.
"Robin coming here without ever being knocked down was a challenge I put before myself and stopping him was something I had to do.
| I grew stronger as the fight went on, while he was getting weaker |
"We had a good battle in there but I took his best shots and he couldn't take my best shots, and that was the difference in the fight.
"I grew stronger as the fight went on, while he was getting weaker."
Reid had not fought for six months since a low-key points win over Ramdane Serdjane in Brentwood.
The challenger's rustiness was apparent from the start and he struggled to live with the early pace and verve of Lacy.
Reid, intent on holding at every opportunity, was floored first by a low blow in the third round.
He was also counted in the fifth when Lacy landed a shot after the referee had intervened for Reid's headbutt, for which he was deducted a point.
Lacy put him on the deck again as the bell loomed and he was down once more in the sixth following a big overhand right.
Referee Jorge Alonso took another point off Reid for holding in the seventh before Lacy landed a huge uppercut to send him crashing back down towards the end of the round.
Reid made it to the bell but trainer Bryan Hughes had seen enough and, despite protests from the fighter, called a halt to proceedings.
Manchester's rising star John Murray made an emphatic American debut on the the same bill as Lacy-Reid. Murray, undefeated in 13 fights, blitzed his opponent Johnny Walker over six rounds
MMIX
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