Epsom's Tommy Eastwood was stopped in the eighth round of a barnstorming battle when he challenged Rob Norton for the English Cruiserweight Championship at Coventry Sports Centre on Friday, writes Melanie Lloyd.

Norton, who had previously stopped 18 opponents in 28 wins, caught Southern Area champion Tommy cleanly on the chin with a winging left hook.

Southpaw Norton appeared to hit Eastwood low three times in the first round and two minutes into the fight the referee, John Keane, had to give both boxers a stern warning.

Eastwood then caught his opponent with a right uppercut. Norton held and mauled which caused him to receive another warning from referee Keane, who had his hands full throughout the fight.

In the fourth round Norton was saved by the bell after Eastwood trapped him in a neutral corner and piled in with a blistering combination of punches.

The fifth round saw Eastwood land a stiff right upper-cut, while Norton countered with his left hook. Eastwood pinned Norton in his own corner at the beginning of the sixth, and the Stourbridge man received another warning for holding.

Round seven was a ferocious three minutes of non-stop action from both men and Eastwood had Norton trapped on the ropes as the bell went.

Early in the eighth, Eastwood backed Norton up and, after the referee ordered a break, Norton got through with his winging left, catching Eastwood squarely on the chin. Eastwood's knees dipped, but he remained on his feet as referee Keane jumped in with a timely intervention to stop the fight.

Eastwood said: "He got in first and caught me with a good shot - I can't take that away from him."