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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Stephen Killen

Chloe Watson and Paddy Lacey make their mark as Nathan Gorman finishes Tomas Salek

Merseyside fighters almost had a 100 percent record on the undercard of Nathan Gorman vs Tomas Salek as the former made a statement with a first-round TKO against the Czech at the M&S Bank Arena.

Seven fighters from Liverpool and the surrounding region stepped into the ring as part of the Wasserman Boxing promotion. Earlier in the day, the city was draped in blistering sunshine which set the mood ahead of the bill.

Flyweight Chloe Watson made her first arena appearance in front of a local crowd and didn't throw a punch out of place. The 22-year-old brought one of the loudest receptions of the night in the card's final fight, only matched by the entrance of the Gypsy King Tyson Fury prior to the main event.

RECAP: Nathan Gorman vs Tomas Salek results in full, reaction and updates

Paddy Lacey moved his way up the rankings with a quick-fire win and earned his first stoppage in the first round against debutant Ryan Broten. The Warrington Rylands midfielder admitted there was glimpses of frustration in his performance after he was forced to fight a late addition after an opponent dropped out at the eleventh hour.

Speaking to the ECHO, the 29-year-old said: "I stung him with a jab, seen his reaction and thought he was ready to go from the first second. He gone in on late notice, Ryan, so I won't get carried away with the performance, result, the opposition but I did the camp, worked hard, done everything I could, that was me at my optimum tonight.

"Still pleased, it's my first stoppage so that's a monkey off my back," he continued. "It got pulled at the last minute and I thought I've got no one now, that was probably a little of frustration in there because there was probably 10 opponents that we went through but we finally got someone, we got the job done - I'm happy."

John Edwardson kicked off the night with a win over the tough Romanian journeyman Stefan Nicolae on points, in just his third professional fight. However, it wasn't to be for Marcos Molloy who was handed the first defeat of his professional career to Gadatamen Taylor after he was edged out on the scorecards.

Tom Farrell returned to the M&S Bank Arena to beat Nigeria's Olaide Fijabi. Fazza, similarly to Lacey, endured difficult preparations ahead of the fight due to a number of complications which saw him have to re-weigh in on fight day.

After a slow start, Fijabi caught the 32-year-old with a right hand and after a head clash, Farrell was forced to fight with a cut under his left eye but he maintained his composure and took home the win after the bout went to the judge's scorecards.

"It was really frustrating because I didn't even know if I was going to be fighting tonight, obstacles getting thrown our way... but thankful to have boxed, got the win, get paid and we move on - bigger nights to come," Farrell said after the fight. "I was looking to be fighting at the end of July, Harlem Eubank's been earmarked but we'll have to see if everything is okay - I think I'll be alright, see what happens.

"I want to win the British title, got to manoeuvre myself into position to get there. There's a few decent fights out, some big nights of boxing that I can be involved in, take on some good lads."

Skelmersdale's Tom Aitchison continued his unbeaten run in the pro-game, he stopped Ezequiel Gregores in the fourth. The Argentinan took Campbell Hatton all the way previously but the 27-year-old delivered on his promise to finish the South American.

READ MORE: Nick Ball becomes WBC champion on Tyson Fury undercard at Wembley

READ MORE: Undefeated boxer Chloe Watson tipped to 'shine' in Liverpool by Ricky Hatton

Ellesmere Port's Mason Cartwright also reigned victorious against Bulgarian Angel Emilov, inflicting the 41st professional defeat of his career. It was his first time in the ring since March but the win sees him bounce back from the defeat to Troy Williamson for the British Welterweight title.

"Nutty" was pleased with getting more rounds under his belt as he took his record to 18-3-1. He told the ECHO: "I just had to box with him because he's a tough guy. We knew what we were getting from him, it's the reason we picked him as an opponent because we knew that he'd be in there to give me a fight for the eight rounds.

"I didn't want someone I was just going to blow over, it does nothing for me. I learn and I sharpen my tools by doing what I do in the ring because it was tough at times, he lets his hands go and it allows me to have a realistic perspective of what is going to come when I box someone on my level."

Elsewhere on the card, Coventry heavyweight Matty Harris showed his punching power as he stopped Pawel Strykowski inside the first round. Super Welterweight Josh Kelly made his long-awaited comeback to the ring and stopped Peter Kramer in the fourth round.

Former Geordie Shore star and TV personality Aaron Chalmers made his professional boxing debut against Alexander Zeledon. In the penultimate fight of the night, Chalmers was looking for the knockout but managed to kickstart his new avenue in combat sport with a win.

The 35-year-old said: " I really enjoyed it, the Liverpool crowd gave us a really warm welcome, I've been a lot of places where I haven't had such a good welcome.

"I say the Scousers are like the Geordies, drinking, football and boxing, it was a good reception I hope they enjoyed the performance, it was a bit sloppy at the beginning but we started coming together before the end and it wasn't a bad debut."

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