 Oakey will defend his British title against Brian Magee |
Tony Oakey was crowned Britain's new light heavyweight champion after stopping Steve Spartacus in the final round of their fight in London. Oakey dominated the 12-round bout at the ExCel Arena and looked to be heading for a landslide points win.
But the Portsmouth fighter decided to step up his efforts in the final round and forced referee Richie Davies to rescue Spartacus after 34 seconds.
It was the first time Spartacus, from Ipswich, had ever been stopped.
Oakey and Spartacus had been matched for the vacant title by the British Boxing Board of Control after they stripped former champion Peter Oboh of his belt for failing to defend against Oakey at Wembley Arena last month.
Veteran Oboh, who had not fought for three years, refused to step into the ring less than an hour before the scheduled start of the fight.
 | It's great to be back in business |
The board quickly sanctioned the fight between Oakey and Spartacus, who was already booked to appear on the ExCel bill.
Oakey, the 31-year-old former Commonwealth and WBU champion, had established a clear lead by the halfway stage and Spartacus was battling to survive.
By the seventh round, a desperate-looking Spartacus appeared totally devoid of ideas as Oakey kept up the relentless pressure.
Spartacus, determined to go down fighting, rallied with his best spells, landing some good combinations in the eighth and ninth rounds but he still failed to keep Oakey at bay.
"I was gutted for myself and my fans who had travelled from Portsmouth for the Oboh fight," said Oakey.
"It's great to be back in business. It's the best I've felt for a while and I'm delighted to have made it up to my supporters."
The board have ruled that Oakey's first defence must be against Brian Magee, the number one light heavyweight contender from Belfast, before the end of October.
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