'Beaten' Clayton's stock is soaring

Telford electrician Elliot Clayton looks set to make sparks fly among Britain's heavyweights after controversially losing to London champ Martin McDonagh.

Many good judges at the Royal Lancaster Hotel - Sir Henry Cooper and former world welterweight champ Lloyd Honeyghan among them - felt Clayton deserved the decision.

Surprisingly, Donnington Boxing Club boss Brian Davies, in the 25-year-old's corner, hadn't got an argument with the majority decision in McDonagh's favour.

Said Davies: "I thought the difference was nine or 10 punches thrown incorrectly by Elliot. If they had landed cleanly, it would have been a different story."

Whatever the rights or wrongs, it's a performance that will see Clayton's stock soar. Davies adding: "He's a much improved fighter. The fitness was there, the durability was certainly there."

McDonagh, from the famed Lynn club, has quite a reputation, but caught a tiger by the tail in Clayton.

Elliot is tough, with a granite chin - qualities that saw him through an uncomfortable opener.

By the second, he'd found the target with heavy rights and near the bell McDonagh was dumped on the seat of his trunks. Surprisingly, no count was given.

The last session was bossed by Clayton, though the judges favoured McDonagh's early work.

On the same bill, St Georges' light-middle Matthew Ellis - a fellow member of the packed Donnington gym - gave his all against Peter Orsi.

Orsi's slick boxing earned him the decision, but 20-year-old Ellis looked to trade from first bell to last - and provided the Lynn boxer with plenty of uncomfortable moments.

Closer to home, Donnington light-middle Greg Clay faded badly in the closing stages against Lions' Ryan Harper at Sixes Club, Kingswinford.

It proved a scrappy encounter and, on this evidence, Greg will need to work on fitness levels.

Harper upped the pace in the third and Greg was unable to stay with him.

By MIKE LOCKLEY