By dailymail.co.uk

 

Gavin Rees added the British lightweight title to his European crown with a brutal nine-round triumph over Derry Mathews in Sheffield.
In a rematch of their October meeting for the same belt, where an accidental clash of heads left Mathews with a broken nose and resulted in a technical draw, Welshman Rees came back from a sluggish start to overwhelm his game foe.

Rees, a former WBA champion at light-welterweight, will now harbour realistic ambitions of becoming a two-division world champion.

Both fighters came into the contest on the back of impressive wins.

 

All smiles: Gavin Rees (left) and Derry Matthews after their bout

Rees travelled to Paris in March where he systematically dismantled home favourite Anthony Mezaache, while Mathews produced a huge upset to thrillingly rip the British title from Anthony Crolla inside six rounds a month later.

Jumping for joy: Gavin Rees reacts to knocking out Derry Matthews

The champion's' customary come-forward style was evident in the opener, although he began to neglect the jab, allowing Mathews to pick him off with a pair of eye-catching combinations and steel the round.

After controlling the distance well over the following three minutes, Mathews found himself in trouble a Rees upped the tempo in the third.

A chopping overhand right from the 32-year-old started a frenzied flurry, the result of which was a cut just above Mathews' right eye as the fighters' heads came together.
Rees soon pinned his man in the corner, unleashing punishing hooks to the body, but the 28-year-old Liverpudlian was unperturbed and ended the session beckoning some central ring trading.
Having landed flush with a pair of right hands to no noticeable effect in five, Mathews' knees momentarily appeared to buckle in the closing second of the round as Rees found his jaw with a shot right hook.

The left to the body proved fruitful for Rees in six and he pro ceded to dominate the middle rounds - the bell coming to Mathews' rescue in eight as a left uppercut and overhand right sent him reeling into the ropes.

In reality the challenger was running on empty and following more relentless pressure, a right flush to the jaw followed by a beautifully timed left from Rees ended the contest.
 

 

Champion: Gavin Rees poses with his belts