As soon as the bell rang, it was clear Gavin Gwynne was in for a rough night. His right eye began to swell massively, blurring his vision and setting a timer on his resilience.
Mark Chamberlain, the southpaw from Portsmouth, didn’t let up, hammering Gwynne until his team had to step in at the tail end of the fourth round.
Chamberlain made his intentions clear post-fight. “I came here to leave a mark,” he declared. “I’m eyeing a return in the summer. This fight was anyone’s game, but respect to Gavin, he’s a warrior. Yet, I’ve got that edge—I’m the new force at 135 in Britain, ready to take on any challenger.”
The battle kicked off with intensity, but Gwynne’s situation took a dire turn as the first round was winding down. A grotesque swelling emerged around his right eye, accompanied by blood and a narrowing field of vision.
Referee Howard Foster inspected the damage but let the fight continue into the second round, despite the ominous signs. Gwynne’s condition worsened, with a pronounced swelling forming. Even after a doctor’s examination before the third round, the fight persisted.
Chamberlain kept up his fierce attack, although Gwynne managed to land some effective body shots. A brief pause came when Gwynne’s mouthguard fell out in the third round. But Chamberlain kept piling on the pressure, leaving Gwynne to navigate through a barrage of punches with a severely compromised eye.
Gwynne’s corner did what they could, but his deteriorating state was evident. As he bravely tried to close the distance, Chamberlain’s punches found their mark, pushing Gwynne further behind on the scorecards.
Tony Borg, Gwynne’s trainer, recognized the inevitable and conceded by throwing in the towel as Chamberlain’s assault continued, prompting Foster to halt the fight.
Chamberlain, now boasting a 15-0 record with 11 KOs, is hungry for more challenges. Gwynne, with a record of 17-3-1 and 5 KOs, faces a setback but remains a respected competitor.
