GUISBOROUGH’S Josh Leather retained his IBF European Super-Lightweight title courtesy of a bruising victory over Sunderland’s Glenn Foot at Newcastle’s Metro Radio Arena.

The North-East rivals served up an action-packed encounter that boasted plenty of needle throughout, with Leather emerging victorious thanks to a unanimous points decision.

The reigning champion was made to work hard to defend his title however, clambering up from the canvas in the second round after Foot dropped him with a powerful right.

Foot shaded the opening exchanges, trading a series of forceful blows with his opponent, but Leather gradually steadied the ship and began to produce the more polished shots from around the fourth round onwards.

Foot was deducted a point for persistently failing to break away in the sixth round, and that seemed to spur Leather on as the North Yorkshire fighter began to make his superior technical ability tell.

Foot knocked Leather down again in the tenth, but the shot was ruled out and the Wearsider was controversially deducted another point for repeatedly losing his gumshield.

Those two lost points proved crucial in the final reckoning, with Leather securing verdicts of 114-111, 113-112 and 115-110 on the judges’ scorecards.

There were wins for North-East trio Joe Maphosa, Troy Williamson and Jeff Saunders earlier in the evening, before West Rainton’s Tommy Ward retained his British Super Bantamweight title with a unanimous points win over Sean Davis.

The headline attraction saw Liverpudlian Liam Smith secure another World title shot after he out-pointed Liam Williams in a WBO Super-Welterweight eliminator.

The domestic rivals went all the way in a hard-hitting affair, but Smith triumphed on a majority decision, 114-114, 116-112, 117-111.

Miguel Cotto currently holds the WBO title, but has said he will retire after he has fought Sadam Ali on December 2. Smith’s weekend win means he is now guaranteed an opportunity to regain the crown he lost when he was beaten by Saul Alvarez.