Bristol's Adrian Stone last night captured the vacant IBO light-middleweight title when he forced Dubliner Michael Carruth to retire at the end of the fifth round at York Hall, Bethnal Green. Stone, based in New Jersey and making only his third British appearance in seven years, dominated his heavier opponent.
Carruth, hampered by a cut under his left eye and another on his head, quit with a damaged right hand after failing to subdue his bigger-punching rival. But the Irishman's troubles began at yesterday's weigh-in when he was two-and-a-half pounds above the 11 stone limit. He eventually shed a pound, but because he was still over the weight the title would still have been vacant if he had won.
Carruth's defeat ended a frustrating and disappointing six weeks. He was due to have challenged Javier Costillejo for the WBC title on March 3, but the Spaniard withdrew injured. He was then matched with Stone who, seeking to clinch a deal to fight on a regular basis in Britain, seized his chance with both hands.
Pushing Carruth back with some good right upper-cuts from the opening bell, Stone always looked in command and easily overcame Carruth's attempts to land with his southpaw right. The Irishman, cut under the left eye and on top of his head in round three, could never find his true rhythm and was continually out-worked by his lighter rival. Carruth was warned for using his head early in round five. For his pains, he was cut on the side of his right eye. But, with his right hand badly damaged, his corner pulled him out at the end of the round.
A jubilant Stone said: “I'd like to fight here more often. I only took the fight at light-middle because the welter-weights were ignoring me.” A dejected Carruth later refused to blame his defeat on his damaged hand, saying: “I had no energy left and was suffering from dehydration through having to shed the surplus weight.”
Carruth revealed he took the Stone fight 18 days ago when he was 17lbs overweight. “I stopped training on February 19 when the Costillejo fight was called off and did not begin training until March 28 when I was informed that I was fighting Stone. My energy level was down - hence my sluggish display. That is why I pulled out when I did tonight.”
