By Elliot Foster

Josh Leather picked up his first professional title with a controversial stoppage victory.

The undefeated Guisborough super-lightweight claimed the vacant IBF Inter-Continental title, exclusively live on BoxNation and BT Sport.

Leather went in against Phil Sutcliffe Jr. at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, as part of the undercard to Josh Warrington’s WBC International featherweight title defence against Kiko Martinez.

“I’ve been boxing since I was nine years old and this is a dream come true for me. It was a good fight and I’m made up,” said Leather after the referee Howard Foster called time on the fight after one minute and 44 seconds of the sixth round.

The fight was even throughout, with three opening minutes to remember. But Sutcliffe Jr., whose new record is 13-2 (8 KOs), was caught by a few clean shots in round six and the referee saved him for another day, despite his protestations in the aftermath as he said that the fight was called “too early”.

Now for Leather, it’s “on to the next one” and he could yet fight for the British title. Tyrone Nurse, the ruler at domestic level, scored a points victory on the same bill and is set to face mandatory challenger Jack Catterall at the same venue on July 15, but the talk on BT Sport was that a cut suffered by the Huddersfield man could force him to relinquish the belt, leading to Catterall facing Nurse for the vacant crown.