Eggington trounces dangerman Pigford

Yet another belt for Sam, yet another unbeaten fighter put to the sword

BEFORE the battle, big punching Joe Pigford described Sam Eggington as tailor-made for him.

After being tortured, tormented and utterly dominated, the Southampton KO artist’s words were rammed down his throat by The Savage’s fists before being chewed and swallowed.

At Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium on Saturday night, Eggington utterly exposed a man who had won all 20 previous contests, 19 by stoppage.

Such was the complete nature of Sam’s victory, it’s difficult to see how Pigford can come back.

With the WBA international belt on the line, Pigford was rescued in the dying seconds of the fifth. He had been frozen by a right hand and clubbed into near unconsciousness by left hooks. Joe was out cold on his feet when referee Bob Williams stepped in as the towel was slung.

In Eggington, Pigford took a major step-up in the calibre of opposition – and, at times, the gulf in class was – quite frankly – embarrassing.

Let’s say it as it is. Stourbridge’s Eggington, a former British, European and “world” champ, was selected as a sacrificial lamb. Pigford’s team believed he was past his sell-by date, that he was a name who would boost their man’s stock.

What they got was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Eggington bossed the action from the get-go, dictated the tempo and, shockingly, made Pigford meek.

Pigford may carry granite in each fist, but he came across as a contender with feet of clay. He looked deeply flawed. Worse still, the 30-year-old appeared intimidated by the occasion and the steely individual in front of him.

I – and many others – expected Pigford to come out hurling bombs. Instead, he gave ground and attempted to ease himself into the contest.

His defence was porous. His legs too wide, his left club too low, his chin in the air.

They were amateurish chinks in the armour and Sam, taking part in his 42nd fight, made him pay.

Eggington’s manager, Jon Pegg, had called it correctly. The bully was bullied.

On the morning after the glorious night before, Pegg told me: “I told you so.

“The guy is a big puncher – we all knew that, but Sam came to bash him up. Pigford looked into his eyes and saw a man who didn’t give a ****. Sam was intent on doing serious damage and Pigford realised that.

“I said to Sam, ‘keep your eyes on him’ and Sam never took his eyes off him. Sam was ready and people don’t realise how Sam can box.

“Let’s be honest, Sam was supposed to be a sacrificial lamb down there, that was why Sam was taken down there. But he dominated him and beat him up. Pigford was up against a hardened veteran who didn’t give a ****.

“He could’ve got him out of there earlier, but I wanted to do things properly. For a couple of rounds, I honestly thought they were trying to trick us, trying to bring Sam onto big shots. That’s how easy Pigford was to hit.”

The future is again rosy for Eggington, he’s back in the mix. “What’s next?” added Pegg. “I don’t really care. Sam brings good stuff to a ring, we’ll just enjoy the ride.”

The fight was reminiscent of Eggington’s two round KO of Orlando Fiordigiglio in Italy, another boxer with a record that masked his deficiencies.

There’s something about fighting on the road that brings out the beast in The Savage.

In the southern seaside resort of Bournemouth, Eggington demolished Pigford’s reputation with the ease of a child kicking down a sandcastle.

He glided through the gears, prowling and snapping out jabs before turning the screw in the third. Sam cracked home a big right in the fourth and drilled home heavy punches to have Pigford walking unsteadily to his corner at the bell.

The stadium’s floodlights unexpectedly came on minutes before Pigford’s lights were about to be switched off.

One right hand in the fifth drained everything from Pigford. He retreated, like a drunk on black ice, to a corner and copped two big left hooks.

He was done. The man they call “The Pig” had been butchered.

After the famous victory, Sam said: “A lot of the experience is just about the build-up to fights like this. It can get you nervous and I knew he’d be nervous getting into the ring. I was sleeping well.

“I’ve been doing this a long time and it’s starting to get to me that people are saying that I’m a gimmick. I’m in my prime and I feel you can see it in my boxing. I’m trying to do new stuff and it’s working.”

He added: “I’ve done a Tyson Fury against a lad who had 19 knockouts, so me and Tyson Fury are in the same camp.”