By Phil D. Jay

Aintree Equestrian Centre, Liverpool - David Price (13-0, 11KOs) captured the vacant British heavyweight title with a deadly fourth round knockout of Sam Sexton (15-3, 6KOs).

Price was landing very well with his jab in the opening round and continued to intimidate Sexton with his size and reach. Sexton was dropped by a good right hand at the end of the third. Sexton was rocked in the fourth and put down for a second time in the early going. Near the end of the round, a hard right hand put Sexton down on his back and he was practically out cold. The ref quickly waved it off and the ringside doctors came in.

Ashley Theophane (31-5-1, 9KOs) failed to make the third and final defense of his British light-welterweight title as Darren Hamilton (12-2, 3KOs) caused an unexpected upset at the Aintree Equestrian Centre.

The 31 year-old, who has mixed it with some of the world’s top fighters in a globe-trotting career, was due to meet local fighter Steve Williams until a chest infection ruled him out and Theophane chose to face Hamilton over Prizefighter champion Adil Anwar.

‘Treasure’ made tough work of it early on as both fighters tried to get in the ascendancy and became embroiled in a scrappy affair, much like his previous contest with Ben Murphy - which favoured Hamilton.

Hamilton, 33, kept Theophane frustrated and ragged throughout and claimed a 117-112, 118-113 and 115-113 victory to move on to a potential mandatory bout with the man Theophane chose not to face, Adil Anwar.

‘The Platinum Kid’ scored an easy ten-round win over Dave Ryan in an eliminator for a shot at the new champion as Anwar, 24, hardly put a foot wrong in easing his way to a 99-90, 98-90 and 99-91 triumph.

Phil D. Jay covers boxing for worldboxingnews.net