USA beckons for Maxi Hughes after victory over Kid Galahad

But after 12 excruciatingly tight rounds, which ended with the latter retaining his IBO lightweight title, the decisive factor of this all-South Yorkshire affair in Nottingham turned out to be a points deduction for Galahad in the 10th.

One judge scored a draw. Another declared Hughes a convincing victor. The third, Giulio Piras, calculated the Rossington fighter had prevailed 114/113. Galahad, stepping up two divisions after surrendering his featherweight crown to Kiko Martinez, was left ruing referee Marcus McDonnell’s decision to punish him for persistent use of the head during the closing stages of the contest.

Despite appearing convinced he had done enough to take the verdict, Galahad returns to Wincobank’s Ingle gym facing an uncertain future after suffering a third career defeat.

For Hughes, recording a seventh straight victory, all roads seem to lead towards a money-spinning date in north America. Before being paired against his fellow 32-year-old, Ryan Garcia and Jorge Linares had both been touted as potential opponents.

“On paper, I’ve just beaten a former IBF world champion,” Hughes said. “Not one five years ago and past his sell-by date. A guy who was a champ less than a year ago going into his last fight.

“I just listened to my corner and boxed to instruction. I was praying that I’d win. I’m not a great judge of a fight I’m in and I knew it was close. He’s real tricky corner. But I trust my team and did what they wanted.”

Galahad needed to win and win well in order to reopen the doors which had been slammed in his face following November’s shock loss to Martinez.

Subtly applying pressure, both physical and mental as he switched between orthodox and southpaw, Galahad initially took the sting out of Hughes’ left hooks by leaning away and sliding under them.

But as the scrap wore on, his punch output dropped and his right hand went missing.

Hughes showed his experience by theatrically withdrawing from Galahad’s forehead during a clinch in the sixth, after the Sheffield man had already been warned by McDonnell. Four rounds later, the official’s patience snapped. Hughes’ best period of the bout had come a couple of minutes earlier, when Galahad finally decided to focus on leading with his left hand.

Denaby’s Terri Harper edged closer towards a rematch with Natasha Jonas after wrestling the IBO and WBA super-welterweight belts away from Scotland’s Hannah Rankin.

Harper and Jonas drew when they contested the IBO and WBC belts Harper later surrendered to Alycia Baumgardner.

But the pair appear to be on a collision course again, with Harper making a mockery of Rankin’s claim that she had been “reckless” by agreeing to compete in the 69.9kg class.

“That’s why I’m up at this weight,” Harper said, referring to Jonas. “We’ve got some history to settle.

“The day I lost my belts, this is what we’ve been working towards.”

Harper was too varied, too light on her feet and too tactically disciplined for Rankin as she deservedly cruised towards a unanimous points decision.

Preventing her opponent from getting close, drawing blood in the second and producing a delightful three punch combination, she was a comfortable winner on all three judges’ cards