Carl Frampton beats Kris Hughes to retain Commonwealth title

Carl Frampton knocked out Kris Hughes to retain his Commonwealth super-bantamweight title in the seventh round on Saturday night in London.

The fight ended early in the seventh after Frampton backed Hughes into the corner and landed a huge counter right hand, flooring his opponent in York Hall, Bethnal Green.

The Scot struggled to his feet but the referee waved off the bout immediately.

Frampton had dominated every round of the fight, dictating the tempo from the centre of the ring and accurately counter punching at will.

Hughes was unable to deal with Frampton’s footwork, power and positioning and struggled to make use of his superior height and reach.

As soon as Frampton increased the pace of the fight and began to let his hands go, Hughes looked troubled and became more and more defensive.

By the seventh, Frampton was looking to finish the bout and after missing with one right hand he floored Hughes with a perfect counter right to the chin sending the Scot to the canvas.

After the fight Carl Frampton said: “He [Hughes] was very, very tough, he took a lot of hard shots.

“It took something spectacular to get rid of him and I delivered. I was taking my time and stepped up the pace when I felt like it. It was a perfect shot I don’t think anyone would have stood up to that.”

Barry McGuigan added: “He’s doing a great job; we’re bringing him a long at the right pace. It’s about getting the right fights.”

Frampton’s promoter Eddie Hearn said: “We want the big fights; let’s make the fights – simple.”