Wharton bounces back

Boxing

Henry Wharton silenced the sceptics with a performance straight out of the top drawer to win the European super-middleweight title in front of his home-town fans in York.

Wharton had used his favourite left hook sparingly against Mauro Galvano, before landing it in a sudden, sharp arc at the end of a pulsating fourth round. Taking the full impact, Galvano was counted out after the bell sounded - and Wharton smiled: "I suckered him into it. The punch was one of the best I've ever thrown and it was all the more satisfying because that was the first time he had been knocked off his feet."

Wharton, who lost world title challenges to Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank, admitted: "I felt a bit of pressure. Some people had written me off and I had to prove I wasn't finished. Now I'm right back up there."

Wharton's manager, Mickey Duff is now trying to set up a world title bout against Nigel Benn.