Boxing: Victory for Hide

HERBIE HIDE registered his 20th successive heavyweight win inside the distance, but there was little satisfaction from his third-round victory over the overweight Argentinian, Juan Antonio Diaz.

Hide, who added the vacant WBA Penta-Continental title to his WBC international crown, was able to hit his man at will with little in return. Diaz, half a stone heavier, was twice put down by right-hand punches at the start of the third, and when a left-hook sent him crashing again, referee Larry O'Connell stepped in after one minute 32 seconds.

Earlier, Lloyd Honeyghan took the Commonwealth middleweight title from Mickey Hughes with a fifth-round stoppage. The former world welterweight champion delivered a vicious left hook which split Hughes's nose.

PROFESSIONAL PROMOTION (Brentwood): 12-rd Commonwealth light-middlweight title: L Honeyghan (Bermondsey) bt M Hughes (Croydon, champion) rsf 5th. 6-rd lightweight: B Guynan (East Ham) bt S Shinkwin (Bushey) pts. 12-rd vacant WBA Penta-Continental heavyweight title: H Hide (Norwich) bt J A Diaz (Arg) rsf 3rd.