There were shocks, scraps, and all sorts as the ‘Magnificent 7’ showed that with a competitive night’s boxing, comes a cracking night’s entertainment. 

Nick Ball overcame Isaac Dogboe in an entertaining 126lb WBC final eliminator. Ball was aggressive without delay, forcing the Ghanaian to keep compact and avoid exchanges. 

Ball did get the shootout he was chasing, but after being stung in round two and dropped in round three, he supplemented his attacks with slightly more caution. 

It didn’t take the zip out of his shots, however. In the fourth, Dogboe was caught with a sweet left hook, leaving him on his backside. 

That was twice in five rounds of boxing that the former WBO title holder had hit the canvas. 

Ball, now in control of the fight, worked behind his jab, throwing heavy body work when at hand. Dogboe did have brief surges, all of which Ball anticipated. 

A wild left hook was met by a well-timed counter right, and served as a warning to Ball who left the trade with a bloodied nose. There was still a fight to be navigated. 

Nobody could fault the effort of Dogboe, but it was Ball’s ability to maintain such a frantic tempo that meant the fight ended just as it started, and that was with the Brit in control. 

A comfortable win leaves Ball in position for a mega 2024. Brandon Figueroa? Rey Vargas? Mauricio Lara? My word, strap yourselves in. 

The British middleweight title changed hands as Nathan Heaney exceeded all expectations to defeat Denzel Bentley over a gruelling 12 rounds. 

It was with no disregard to Heaney that Bentley was such a favourite. 

Having fought at world level, and frequently dispatched all in front of him at domestic level, many believed Bentley would be in for a short night. 

Driven on by almost 3,000 supporters, Heaney’s defensive discipline kept things in check early on. He did take a heavy right hand in round three, but remained composed. 

Bentley, aware of his devastating power, was probing for the shot that would unravel Heaney. 

Although his search was not yet desperate, his attempt to try and narrow the distance played into the Stoke man’s hands, as Heaney boxed smartly on the outside. 

As the fight flew towards the championship rounds, both men threw in bunches, perhaps in an attempt to try and sway the judging party during what was a crucial last sector. 

Bentley had a brilliant round 11, but needed an even better round 12 to have any hope of retaining his title. Heaney used every trick in the boxing book to drag himself over his dream finish line. 

An unextraordinary amateur from the small-hall circuit, whose opportunity has finally been validated by one of the year’s most remarkable upsets. 

The world, or at least Stoke, is his oyster. 

There was a defence of the European title for Liam Davies, who managed to cram 12 rounds of drama into a chaotic five rounds against challenger Vincenzo La Femina. 

Davies, in a career first, had to climb off the canvas himself in round three.

It didn’t overawe Davies, who sent his Italian adversary flying to the floor in the third and fourth, before stopping him with a frenzied flurry in the fifth. 

World titles are waiting for Davies, whose Christmas rest will no doubt include a Boxing Day screening of Naoya Inoue and Marlon Tapales’ 122lb undisputed clash. 

It wasn’t just the one British belt changing hands on Saturday, as Harry Scarff ended Ekow Essuman’s long-standing title reign with a rugged and disciplined performance. 

Whilst it was Essuman who started the faster, Scarff grew into the fight, switching stances and utilising his height and reaches advantages. It wasn’t a fight to write home about. 

But it was a title win to write into the history books, and one well deserved for Scarff who hunted Essuman in the all-important closing two rounds. 

Nathaniel Collins was the only man to keep hold of his British title on the night, however he had some hairy moments in an absolute thriller with Zak Miller. 

A 114-114 card was overruled by two reading 115-113 in favour of the champion. 

Collins may well have plans of his own, but I don’t think anyone would be averse to seeing those two share the ring again. 

Soloman Dacres’ Queensberry debut saw him retain his English title after a contentious win over Michael Webster. His call to Fabio Wardley may need to be reconsidered. 

Ema Kozin nipped Hannah Rankin to the WBC and WBO titles in a fiddly battle. 

Rankin’s lack of activity, and Kozin’s insistence to press the fight, may well have been the judges’ determining factors when it came to scoring what was a particularly messy affair. 

Kozin’s sole defeat to Claressa Sheilds has long been one that has defined a busy 24-fight career. Now, it is her champion status that she can carry into some huge unification fights. 

Oscar Bevis