Maxi Hughes: Doncaster boxer beats County Kildare man Gary Cully to win WBA title

Before his fight with Irishman Gary Cully at the Salle des Étoiles, Monte Carlo, on Saturday night, the only question was whether he still had the energy to make his pedigree count and win the battle of southpaws.

A flawless, unanimous decision of 100-90, 100-90, 100-90, certainly answered that...a total shutout. Hughes had felt that Cully had appeared hydrated in the pre-fight media events, which had fired him up even more.

The Doncaster lightweight, aged 34, moved to 27-7-2, taking the 28-year-old County Kildare opponent to school over ten dominating rounds.

He inflicted a damaging eye cut in the sixth round to the younger, much taller man, a wound which might need surgery, and then walked off with the WBA Continental lightweight title.

Hughes, formerly of Rossington and now living in Haxey, can move forward with confidence and hopefully to a world title challenge in 2025.

“I’m 35 next and feel fresh as ever,” he said, “It’s been a tough camp. My last fight [a TKO win over Efstathios Antonas in Sheffield] I wasn’t happy with my performance and there’s still plenty of fight left in the dog.

"I had a virus, ear infection, chest infection, I was close to pulling out.”

Maxi, who beat Sheffield's Kid Galahad to retain the IBO lightweight title in 2022 before losing it in disputed circumstances to George Kambosos Jr in the US last year, had been on a revenge mission on the French Riviera.

He believed his Donny pal and stablemate Reece Mould had been robbed by Cully - now 18-2-0 - in a split decision in Dublin last year. He accomplished the mission in style.

Now he has to convince Matchroom to bankroll him to another shot at a world in the 135lb division.

Promoter Eddie Hearn was certainly impressed: "It was a world-class performance from Maxi Hughes tonight.”

Meanwhile, unbeaten Sheffield super lightweight Dalton Smith's next fight has been confirmed against Walid Ouizza, 19-2-0, from Seine-Saint-Denis, France, at Nottingham Arena on January 25.

The EBU European and WBC Silver belts will be on the line. Smith 16-0-0 will hope to use the fight as a stepping stone towards world status.