Rocky Fielding’s return to the ring ended in heartbreak after he was stopped by Dan Azeez inside eight rounds on Saturday night.
The bout in Bournemouth was part of the card headlined by hometown fighter Chris Billam-Smith's cruiserweight contest against Kosovo's Armend Xhoxhaj. Fielding, who was returning to the ring for the first time since April, had already been denied the chance to become a two-time British champion after failing weight on Friday.
After scaling 12st 8lbs at the weigh-in, Fielding did not return for a second attempt to make weight, meaning Azeez, who weighed in at 12st 5lbs 5oz, retained his British title on the scales. The fight, however, still went ahead as planned at the Bournemouth International Centre, with Fielding eyeing a big upset that could have put him back amongst the light-heavyweight elite.
