Matt ‘Stark McCallum is no longer just king of the North in name only. It’s now official.
The 31-year-old has been crowned Northern Area super-middleweight champion with a seventh-round stoppage of Mike McGoldrick in Bolton.
It was an incredible performance from the unbeaten Jobes Boxing star, who put down the Barrow warrior twice in the opener and then hurt his opponent again in the seventh.
It prompted referee, Darren Sarginson, to step in at two minutes and two seconds to save a heavily marked-up ‘Goldie’ from taking any further punishment.
In between those dominant first and seventh sessions at the Bolton Wanderers ground, the two 30-somethings served up a tremendous scrap for the vacant belt in front of a big crowd inside the arena as well as those watching on Fightzone.
“It means the absolute world to me this,” McCallum told Fightzone.
“I had no amateur experience then 14 unlicensed fights and just four pro fights before this.
“This is something to be really proud of and now I’d love to push on to the English title, then who knows.
“I just want to go for it. Boxing is an amazing sport and you’ve got to follow your dreams and this dream has come true.”
McCallum was following in the ringsteps of Davey Johnson, Ian Cooper and Ryan Kerr in becoming the Northern Area super-middleweight champion.
And you have to say he did it in some style against the Cumbrian hardman.
The Morpeth southpaw began in slick fashion, using his right nicely before driving through straight lefts.
One of those rocked McGoldrick and then a follow up left decked the 37-year-old.
Mike got up but was soon back down in the last seconds of the first session and was, undoubtedly, saved by the bell.
McCallum, to his credit, did not try to rush it and he stayed sharp in the next two rounds, landing some good shots while avoiding some big swings from his opponent.
But McGoldrick warmed into it in rounds four and five and started to get a foothold in the contest, which went up another gear in the sixth when both boxers enjoyed success in three belting minutes.
Which way would the contest go in the home stretch? McCallum would provide the decisive answer.
He set a cracking pace and troubled McGoldrick with a couple of upper cuts and when he increased the intensity, Mike looked a spent force.
While the Cumbrian stayed on his feet, Mr Sarginson made the right call by intervening and it was McCallum who sank to the canvas, but in celebration.
Words: Roy Kelly
