Morecambe’s Westgate Warrior stopped Belfast hot prospect Marco McCullough in the eighth round at the Manchester Arena on the undercard of Scott Quigg and Carl Frampton’s huge unification fight.
The resort’s English champion boxed a smart fight and rocked the tired and cut McCullough in the eighth session with the Irishman’s corner throwing in the towel after one minute and 56 seconds.
With the victory, Lowe becomes the first Morecambe-born boxer to hold a major international title and at just 22 years of age appears to have a very bright future. It was a cagey opening to the fight with the former Lancaster Boxing Academy fighter catching McCullough, who moved to 14-3 as a pro with defeat, with an excellent right hand in the second round.
The third round was scrappy in a close contest but the Westgate Warrior continued to jab and move well and increasingly proved elusive to McCullough who marched forward at every opportunity.
One excellent right hook in round five got Lowe’s good friend Tyson Fury out of his ringside seat with a left hand later in the session providing an indication of what was to come.
The more experienced McCullough, a stablemate of Carl Frampton, was now cut and went on the offensive in the sixth. Lowe however was simply too quick and caught the problem area with two eye-catching right hands.
McCullough had visibly tired by the seventh round with Lowe using his sharp boxing skills to good effect.
The eighth was to be the final round the Belfast man, Lowe unleashing a barrage that prompted McCullough’s corner to throw in the towel, leaving the Morecambe fighter to savour a victory that catapults him into the boxing mainstream after just 13 professional fights.
