JAMIE Cox enjoyed a successful debut under the Matchroom Boxing banner to become the new WBA Continental super-middleweight champion.

The Swindon southpaw was not at his vintage best as he took a unanimous points decision following an accidental clash of heads with Lewis Taylor saw the bout stopped in the ninth round.

Having not boxed since October, the former WBO European champion, who has now won all 22 of his contests, looked to force the issue and damage started to appear over Taylor’s right eye in the opening round.

However, the former English middleweight champion kept a tight guard which Cox, at times, found difficult to breakdown.

The 30-year-old, who is now likely to face Rocky Fielding next for the British title according to promoter Eddie Hearn, had to take some solid shots.

Cox did managed to get past the tight guard working upstairs and to the body, but he just couldn’t find that knockout blow.

When the fight was stopped, Cox was 88-83 up two of the scorecards and 87-84 on the other as he claimed his third professional title of his career.

“I knew he (Taylor)was going to be a tough opponent,” Cox’s trainer John Costello told the Advertiser after the fight.

“He is tough resilient lad and has been involved in some tough fights. He’s boxed at a decent level and test a couple decent kids so I knew that he would be hard to crack.

“Jamie, being out for so long was a little bit eager to get in there.

“It has been stop-start all the time, because it is stop-start, Jamie can’t get going – he can’t get a rhythm.

“In some aspects it was a bit like when he fought (Martin Fidel) Rios (in October).

“But he was in a much happier place, far more disciplined, I know that Eddie will keep him busy, you will see some top performances.”