William Crolla fell to the first defeat of his young career on Saturday night.
Scotsman Fraser Wilkinson came into fight night as a heavy underdog with a 12-2 record, but he stunned the bookies with a sixth-round stoppage at the AO Arena in Manchester.
William, the younger brother of former WBA lightweight world champion Anthony Crolla, had impressed onlookers during his perfect 8-0 start to life in the paid ranks.
The heavy-handed 26-year-old knocked out six of his first eight opponents, including five inside the opening stanza.
But this evening, in his first eight-rounder, he came unstuck against a seasoned foe.
Wilkinson weathered an early storm to land a picture-perfect left hand in the fifth round that rocked his adversary to his boots.
Crolla stumbled around the ring on unsteady legs for a few seconds before plummeting to the canvas.
The brave Mancunian was able to see out the round, but he couldn’t see out the fight.
Midway through the sixth frame, Wilkinson buckled Crolla’s knees again with a left hook and pounced on him as his back hit the ropes.
Crolla covered up, but he was caught by several unanswered blows, prompting referee John Latham to step in and wave off the fight.
A delighted Wilkinson then reeled off in celebration after scoring the biggest win of his career so far.
Speaking to DAZN after the bout, the victor said: “I’ve been training hard in the gym 24/7.
“I’ve got a couple of losses. I fought for a British title eliminator when I probably shouldn’t have.
“But I took the experience and the chances. [My trainer] took me through it step by step tonight.
“I listened to him, and that is what I produced.
“We have been sparring light heavyweights all camp because we know that William starts fast.
“But we just stuck to the game plan, I knew I needed to be tight, I knew I needed to be sharp with the counters, and that is what I produced.”
