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Sport

Maidstone boxers Sam Noakes and Dennis McCann win Commonwealth titles at the 02 Arena

By: Craig Tucker ctucker@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 22:25, 26 November 2022

Updated: 13:37, 29 November 2022

Maidstone boxers Sam Noakes and Dennis McCann have won Commonwealth titles on the same night.

In a unique double for the County Town, the duo both won by stoppage at the 02 Arena in London.

Noakes, 25, extended his perfect record to 10-0 with victory over Scottish opponent Calvin McCord.

Fighting for the vacant lightweight title, the referee called a halt after Noakes floored his man four times in the fourth round.

McCord also boasted a 100% record going into the contest, with 12 wins under his belt, but Noakes was far too good.

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"I'm very happy with it," Noakes, who's won every fight by stoppage, told BT Sport.

"I'm just glad to get that 10 and 10 now. I can stop worrying about it.

"I put so much pressure on myself to get it but I've finally got it and now I might be able to relax a little bit.

"I got a little bit lazy in the first round with a low left hand.

"Al (trainer Alan Smith) gave me a good talking-to in the corner.

"I came out and relaxed a little bit more and I found my shots were landing a bit better.

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"To be honest, I can't believe the right hand was the one that hurt him, the first one.

"That was just a little light shot to make him drop his hands and when he went over I thought, ' I'm on to a winner here' so I threw a couple more and, yeah, I got the 10 and 10."

Noakes' victory followed Dennis McCann's super-bantamweight success against Joe Ham.

The contest was stopped in the eighth round, with Ham (17-4) taking plenty of punishment.

It was a classy performance from McCann, 21, to inflict a first stoppage on his experienced opponent.

"I told you I was going to take him out," McCann, who extended his winning record to 14-0, told BT Sport.

"No one's stopped him - look at the guys he's fought - no one's stopped him and the Menace strikes again.

"I believe I'm a world-class operator, I believe I'm the best super-bantamweight out there now.

"I just broke him down. I'm a very clever boxer. I broke the body down, I hit him to the head, back to the body. He didn't know what was coming, did he?"

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