What a fight - Jones digs deep for glory

Jones shows the marks of battle. Pictures: Manjit Narotra/MSN Images

TROY Jones has won the English light-heavyweight title the hard way, sharing 10 rounds of gruelling, draining trench warfare with Leon Willings.

In the bill-topper on BCB’s Eastside Rooms, Birmingham, show, the pair uncorked a small hall classic. At times, such as the ninth, they simply took turns to unload heavy shots in an attempt to see who would crumble first.

Neither did. Birmingham’s Jones, a big hitter who has never been beyond six rounds, showed a remarkable engine during the championship distance.

He outworked Willings for the vacant belt, but the wide scores – Terry O’Connor had it 98-92, Ryan Churchill 97-93 and Kevin Parker 96-94 – don’t do justice to the Widnes man’s contribution.

He had plenty of success with sweeping uppercuts and there was always the possibility one clean punch would turn the tables.

Jones, now unbeaten in 11, simply refused to be subdued, answering back with spiteful hooks to the body when tagged.

“It got tough in there,” the 26-year-old said. “You know me, I like a ‘swing off’. I had a bit more than him. He was a better fighter than me, technically, but I’ve got heart.

Troy has brave Willings covering up during their epic

“He was tougher than I thought he’d be, I thought he’d be a bit soft, to be honest. He was a tough, game kid.

“I wasn’t thinking about the stoppage, I was just thinking about digging them in.”

Jones certainly dug them in from first bell to last against an accomplished opponent. Willings holds the Central Area title and took red-hot prospect Ben Whittaker the eight round distance in March.

He was simply up against an opponent who threw punches non-stop, like some demented Duracell Bunny.

And Troy always looked to make a statement at the end of sessions by opening up with both hands.

Willings was marked under the left eye by the end of the opener and Jones drilled hurtful left hooks into his body. He worked his opponent’s midriff like a lumberjack felling a mighty oak.

The visitor connected with eye-catching uppercuts in the third to show he posed a serious threat and took the fourth, on my card, with clean, sharp right hands.

Jones was not prepared to give an inch. He took three punches flush in fifth, yet bulldozed forward and threw a steady stream of hooks in the sixth as Willings defended grimly on the ropes.

Troy, his left eye puffy, attempted to fight on the backfoot in the seventh, only to again be sucked into the inferno.

A right to Willings’ ribs echoed around the arena in the eighth and the pair simply hurled big punches down the stretch.

Willings came on strongly in the last, looking for the one blow that could clutch victory from the jaws of defeat. It was too little, too late.

“I’m gutted,” he said in the dressing room. “I’m not happy with my performance. He dogged it out and maybe I fought his fight too much, I was a bit too eager to play his game. I relied too much on those big punches.”

It will be little comfort, but he played his part in a truly memorable scrap.

Jones is now a step closer to a British title fight,but refused to be drawn on future plans.

“Whoever Errol (manager Errol Johnson) puts in front of me I’ll fight,” he added. “That’s what I do. I’m a fighter.”

He proved that last night.