Lynes was always in command during the fight

Lynes controlled every round before putting Mutley down in the eighth, moments after forcing a standing count.

"Mutley looked in tremendous shape. I surprised myself by doing that to him," said the 29-year-old Essex man.

"If you stuck a seven-foot wall in front of me I'd believe I could get through it."

Despite facing an opponent much bigger than him, Lynes sought to seize control of the bout from the opening bell and kept ex-British champion Mutley at arm's length with his jab.

Every blow landed by West Bromwich-born Mutley was greeted with a roar by the partisan crowd, but the 31-year-old was repeatedly caught as he tried in vain to get inside.

An increasingly dejected-looking Mutley finally backed Lynes onto the ropes in the fifth but it was one of the rare occasions when he was not outmanoeuvred.

Lynes landed another good body blow in the seventh and it was all over in the eighth as first Lynes forced a standing count for Mutley before knocking him to the floor with a little over a minute of the round left.

A chopping right forced Mutley back and a further assault forced the standing count.

Then, a quickfire combination of hooks, finished with a crashing left, finally sent the home favourite to the canvas seconds later.