King and Sherrington losses extend dismal Australian run abroad

 
THEY were brave. They showed heart. They ultimately folded.

 
Commendable Queensland pair Josh King and Les Sherrington entered their respective regional title fights in both the United Kingdom and United States as considerable underdogs, there’s no denying that.

 
In both Ricky Burns and Antoine Douglas, the Australian duo were facing fighters that were seen to be at opposite ends of the spectrum.

 
One was a former two division world champion who has arguably seen better days, while the other was seen as a prospect with a lofty professional ceiling.

 
In spite of their apparent differences, both Burns and Douglas produced similar results.

 
Douglas, 23, showed why iconic US cable giant Showtime Sports have continued to invest their resources, producing a knockdown-filled pantomime that was mercifully halted after five knockdowns in four rounds.

 
On the other hand, Burns, 32, proved that there is still life in the old dog as he punished the torso of a willing Josh King (now 20-4, 9 KOs), who wilted after eleven competitive rounds at the Echo Arena.

 
For Sherrington (35-8, 19 KOs) the task at hand grew uphill almost instantaneously as the Gold Coast resident visited the canvas just over halfway through the opening stanza.

Antoine Douglas seals the deal with a 4th round TKO to stay undefeated in his fifth #ShoBox appearance. #Boxing https://t.co/izK2dbxga4

— SHOWTIME SPORTS (@SHOsports) November 7, 2015

 
Douglas had an abundance of speed – and with an early knockdown in tow – he threw his hands willingly and was rewarded for his efforts with a further three knockdowns in as many rounds.

 
The Australian had a frustrating inability to counter the barrage from Douglas. Sherrington knew when he wanted to exchange – but Douglas was first to land – each and every time.

 
Less than twenty-four hours removed from Sherrington’s defeat, Josh King tasted a similar fate.

 
King, 30, deserves praise for his showing as he forced Burns to fight on his terms for almost eleven rounds. The Scotsman boasted a comfortable lead ahead of the championship rounds, but his margin for error was small.

 
The softly-spoken Burns fought from close range and used his reach advantage to pummel King’s body. And while he was deducted a point in the tenth round for illegal use of his head, he showed the intuition of a veteran.

 
King and Sherrington will live to fight another day with domestic match ups aplenty when they make their respective returns. But on this particular weekend they fell short in their admirable attempt to reach world level.

 
 
Photo: Dave Thompson/Getty Images Europe