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Belfast cruiserweight Tommy McCarthy reached a new career heights tonight by becoming EBU European Champion by beating Bilal Laggoune in London.
McCarthy won by majority decision, 116-112, 116-113, 114-114, in a tenacious fight that had little clean action or emotion.
The 29-year-old’s career had had two setbacks in the past 18 months with losses to Matty Askin and Richard Riakporhe and this was seen as a fight he must win to stay in contention and advance to the world level.
Laggoune, undefeated at cruiserweight prior to this fight, but only his second bout outside of his native Belgium, started well but faded as the rounds progressed.
He seemed slow with McCarthy at the top for most of the first half of a fight that was difficult to score due to the low number of combinations.
Laggoune asked the referee to briefly stop the fight in the sixth round due to an eye problem and McCarthy came close to stopping his opponent. He was allowed to continue after consulting with a doctor.
Coach Pete Taylor warned McCarthy not to let the fight slip away in the later rounds when Laggoune began to land with more punches.
The final round saw McCarthy produce his cleanest work and Laggoune unable to summon the finale he needed.
Belgian judge Daniel Van de Wiele controversially scored the fight with a draw, but Mark Lyson (Great Britain) and Jan Christensen (Denmark) gave McCarthy the decision.
The Belfast fighter spoke of his pride in becoming the first Irish boxer of Caribbean descent to win a European belt and to do so during Black History month.
He has signed up for a fight with IBF World Champion Mairis Briedis next year after a huge win that was streamed live on pay-per-view on Sky Sports on Oleksandr Usyk and Dereck Chisora’s undercard, although he may have to make more progress at this level. to earn that chance.
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