Boxing: Magee wins on home soil

It was easy for Brian Magee in front of his hometown fans at the King's Hall, Belfast, on Saturday night when he retained his International Boxing Organisation super-middleweight title against the Frenchman Hacine Cherifi.

Magee was too big and calculating for the former middleweight world champion and it was a relief when the Frenchman was withdrawn after eight rounds. Magee, 28, turned in a display that may have lacked glamour but was thoroughly professional.

As expected the undercard provided plenty of entertainment. Salford's Jamie Moore retained his British and Commonwealth light-middleweight title when he stopped Sheffield's Andrew Facey in round seven, while the British featherweight title changed hands when Hereford's Dazzo Williams narrowly outpointed Coventry's Roy Rutherford.

The vacant super-middleweight title fight ended in round 11 when Tony Dodson dropped Alan Foster.