Meddoune in first-round Prizefighter stoppage (From Swindon Advertiser)

Meddoune in first-round Prizefighter stoppage

6:00am Thursday 21st June 2012 in Boxing By Steve Butt

LOCAL boxer Noureddine Meddoune was given a taste of his own medicine last night as he suffered a first-round knockout in the Prizefighter tournament at York Hall.

The Swindon fighter had knocked out his last four opponents in stunning fashion but event favourite Kevin Johnson proved too good for Meddoune, as he was stopped with just three seconds remaining of the opening round.

Meddoune was too devastated to talk after the fight but his Bristol boxing promoter, Chris Sanigar, backed his man to bounce back stronger.

Sanigar told the Swindon Advertiser: “To be perfectly honest, Noureddine was unlucky tonight.

“He got caught by a plum right which caught him flush and he never recovered.

“I thought Noureddine dominated the early stages of the fight and if anyone was going to do anything it looked like him.

“Noureddine was the more active boxer and, had he caught Johnson first, then it could have been a different story.

“At the end of the day, though, it was a good punch and Kevin deserved to win.

“I guess you could say his class shone through in the end.”

Sanigar, however, did question the stoppage with just three seconds remaining before the bell, adding: “I was told that it was very close to the bell and, if the referee had let him go on, then who knows - he may have recovered.

“The main thing is that Noureddine is okay and we’ll go away, sit down and see where we go from here.”