Buttigieg outworks Tukes, grinds out seventh round stoppage

 
UNDEFEATED Victorian light middleweight champion Anthony Buttigieg took the next step in his progression, routing crafty veteran Fred Tukes, before scoring a dominant seventh round stoppage.

 
Aside from a fleeting moment in the third round, Tukes, 42, was never really in the fight, although he did offer the reigning state titleholder some resistance over the course of seven rounds.

 
Buttigieg, 26, used his substantially younger legs to give a tiring Tukes (now 12-3-2, 6 KOs) angles and didn’t let the former national champion settle in a fight that was primarily fought on the local favourite’s terms.

 
The fight was eventually called when Tukes – who had taken some punishing body shots throughout the fight – was saved by his trainer Steve Stenborg, who wisely withdrew his charge with just over a round remaining.

 
Buttigieg (now 9-0, 2 KOs) gave an honest assessment of his performance shortly after, while also highlighting the durability of his far more seasoned opponent.

 
“The fight went to plan, I felt strong and composed the whole way,” said Buttigieg in his post-fight interview. “I was happy with how I went but I would’ve liked an earlier stoppage,”

 
“Fred is a seasoned tough opponent – I gotta give him credit – he can take a punch,”

 
“I don’t have any other fight dates set for me yet,” added Buttigieg. “I’ll be back in the gym on Monday and see where we go from there,”

 
“I would like to fit another fight in this year and I’ll aim for that. I intend to move forward and away from the state scene, anything is possible from here,”

 
In the night’s other notable result, big-punching Clint Alderton (5-1, 5 KOs) hammered his way towards a state title fight, lighting up the always entertaining Paul Watson (3-5, 2 KOs) in a singular round.

 
Watson later took to social media to confirm his retirement after a short albeit enjoyable journey as a professional.

 
“I was very pleased with my performance,” said Alderton post-fight. “Paul is a super tough guy and to get the knockout was very satisfying,”

 
“I don’t have a preference for my next opponent, I just want a shot at that Victorian light heavyweight title,”

 
“Hopefully my performance earns me the shot I’ve been waiting for”

 
 
Photos: Marty Camilleri/Marty’s Knockout Photography