Brooks makes winning return (From Halesowen News)

Brooks makes winning return

11:04pm Saturday 9th March 2013 in Sport

LANCE Brooks made a successful return to the ring as he comfortably outpointed Matt Seawright.

The Priory Park fighter had his Telford opponent on the canvas with a solid right in the final session of their four round contest at Wolverhampton Civic Hall tonight.

And though the durable Seawright was able to survive the count, he could do nothing to stop Brooks taking a 40-35 win.

It was also a successful night for Brooks’ Priory Park counterparts Ricky Summers and Luke Paddock, who both took points wins.

Brooks win, in his second professional bout, came almost three years to the day since his debut win over Bheki Moyo.

On that occasion the 26-year-old fought with a serious ankle ligament injury but tonight had no such concerns, stalking Seawright around the ring in the opening round.

Solid right hands were the order of the day and he caught Seawright powerfully in the third, causing the Telford man to hold on for dear life as Brooks looked in vain for the killer blow.

But Seawright, a veteran of almost 80 fights, could do nothing when another clean right sent him sprawling in the fourth. After watching his opponent take the eight count from referee Gareth Morris, Brooks spent the remaining seconds looking for the punch to finish it and though it never arrived the wide points verdict was more than a fair reflection.

Summers made a strong start in his light-heavyweight clash with Leamington’s Dan Mason, fighting back strongly after his opponent landed with a right hand early in the first.

The Priory Park fighter showed his best work in the second with good combinations to both the head and body, though the fight rather petered out in the final two stanzas as Summers took it 40-36.

Light-welterweight Paddock also began well in a four round meeting with Trowbridge’s Dan Carr and as it transpired, he needed it.

After Paddock had taken the first two rounds, Carr came storming back, landing some clean rights in the third.

Paddock came under more pressure in the fourth but satisfied judge Shaun Messer enough to edge the contest 39-38 overall.

In the main event of the evening, Bristol’s Danny Butler stopped Birmingham’s Tom Costello in the final round of a thrilling ten round contest to win the vacant English middleweight title.