Clinton Woods Beats Muriqi In Comeback Fight

Clinton Woods took a big step towards reclaiming his light-heavyweight world title after beating Elvir Muriqi in their eliminator fight in Jersey. Woods, outclassed by Antonio Tarver last April, had insisted he would retire if he could not overcome Muriqi.But the 36-year-old dominated Kosovan Muriqi throughout, using his greater reach and power shots to great effect. Muriqi, 29, did well to go the distance but Woods’ impressive show saw him take the decision 117-111 119-110 117-111.

The win sets up a title shot for Woods against current IBO and IBF champion Chad Dawson, and it was an excellent showing from a man who was embarrassed by Tarver last time out. After his defeat to Tarver in which Woods didi not look himeself, he decided to split from former trainer Richard Poxon, who is based at the Fight Academy gym in Sheffield, and moved to Hillsborough to link up with Rhodes.

And at the Hotel de France, Woods appeared a man back to his best as he picked his punches behind a fantastic jab, forcing Muriqi onto the ropes on numerous occasions in the early rounds. The ‘Kosovo Kid’ tried to keep in touch as the two felt each other out, but as the rounds progressed, Woods’s dominance became ever clearer.

A huge uppercut in the seventh underlined the Sheffield boxer’s growing superiority, and others in the eighth and 10th would surely have led to knockouts had Woods’s stamina allowed a more explosive finish.

As it was the Briton was happy to out-box Muriqi, whose nose was bleeding and left eye closing rapidly in the final rounds, until the final bell brought the inevitable result – a unanimous decision in Woods’s favour.