Boxing: Karmazin proves cut above brave Walker

After six knockdowns, two defeats and far too many savage brawls in just one year, David Walker will finally take a six-month break following his defeat on Saturday in the European light-middleweight title fight at Alexandra Palace in London.

Walker was on his knees for the third time in the fight in round three against the champion, Roman Karmazin, when the towel of surrender from his cornerman, Robert McCracken, landed in the ringto end the fight. "It was the easiest decision in the world for me to pull David out. He has a life after boxing and I want to make sure he enjoys it," McCracken said.

Karmazin was too slick, too powerful and too good for Walker, but the fighter from Sidcup in Kent, who has been in some of British boxing's most exciting and brutal domestic fights in recent years, did try to overcome the gap in class. At Karmazin's level, however, it takes far more than the blind belief that training in isolation brings.

Walker's bravery, which has never been in question, was once again stretched as he tried to move forward behind a high guard that the Russian ruthlessly tore apart.

There was some relief for Walker when his management announced he would now take a six-month break.

On the same bill, Herbie Hide easily beat Russia's Alex Vassilev in five rounds but then denied that his next fight will be against the British champion, Danny Williams.

* Audley Harrison beat Lisandro Diaz, of Argentina, by a fourth-round technical knock-out in Las Vegas late on Friday night to record his 13th professional win.