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CHAMP LOSES OUT: Poole's Steve Bendall lost his English Middleweight title after the referee stopped the fight in the eighth round

STEVE Bendall's British title dream ended under a barrage of powerful punches from Wayne Elcock in the eighth round of their English middleweight title clash on December 1.

The 33-year-old Poole-based southpaw began slowly in this British title eliminator in front of a frenzied 3,000 crowd at the Aston Villa Leisure Centre.

And he didn't have the power or skill to force his way back into the contest as quick-starting Elcock, from Birmingham, secured the win that could end Bendall's top level career.

Bendall, who couldn't get his footwork going early, lost the first three rounds as Elcock came out with all guns blazing looking for the early knockout.

It proved the difference as Elcock cut Bendall's right eye with a powerful right in the second round.

That immediately caused concern in the Bendall camp as his cuts' man worked hard on the injury to stem the flow of blood between rounds.

Then, just as Bendall looked to be getting back into the contest by solid fourth and fifth round performances, he was caught with another right in the sixth, which resulted in a huge swelling coming up under his left eye.

That must have made vision particularly difficult for Bendall out of that eye and he paid the full consequences as Elcock sensed his chance to put an end to an absorbing contest.

Brave Bendall, who had looked as though he might still pull something out of the bag despite his problems, lost the seventh.

So he went into the eighth requiring to win in each of the remaining rounds to have any chance of retaining his national crown.

But, despite going forward and taking the fight to Elcock, he only lasted one minute 40 seconds before he was caught by a deadly right-left-right combination to the head.

That left Bendall spinning helplessly on the ropes and referee Paul Thomas had no option but to step in and stop the contest to save the champion from further punishment.

Defeat, on his birthday, was former England amateur international Bendall's third in 28 professional contests.

But it was also his third in his last seven outings, the others against Scott Dann and Sebastian Sylvester in his solitary British title fight at Plymouth in 2004 and for the European (EBU) title in Mannheim, Germany, earlier this year.

It means Bendall's second chance at a British title challenge lay in tatters and it leaves Elcock celebrating his 32nd birthday today holding the English belt.

Elcock, who landed with a succession of right-handers that Bendall couldn't foil, is lined up to meet the winner of the vacant British title fight between Battersea Bomber Howard Eastman and Richard Williams, who clash at Bethnal Green on December 15.

11:32am Saturday 2nd December 2006

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