By Chris Williamson

O2 Arena, London - Welshman Lee Selby rebounded from the loss of his IBF featherweight title to Josh Warrington last year with a bloody, unanimous decision win over useful American Omar Douglas at lightweight.

Selby complained of a head-butt in the second round and blood poured over the former champion’s left eye. Referee Marcus Morrison confirmed it was an accidental head clash.

Selby looks less drawn early on with the extra weight, bouncing around the ring while picking his well-placed hooks to body and head.

Douglas seemed to gain confidence from the sight of blood and stung Selby with a jolting straight right counterpunch in the third.

Douglas had rebounded from his two back-to-back losses, both of which were at respectable level, with a brace of victories going into this match. 

The visitor seemed to be using the template used by Warrington last year in pressuring Selby relentlessly with intelligent aggression.Douglas landed some lovely left hooks, doubling them to body and head in the fifth as Selby appeared at times in danger of reliving his Elland Road nightmare.

“He don’t like that,” shouted Douglas’ corner as their man marched forward relentlessly, by the mid-rounds Selby’s once-white shorts were mixed with blood red. To make things worse, Selby picked up a cut over the other eye in the seventh.

By the championship rounds however, the Delaware man wore a weary look on his face and Selby showed flashes of his best form, using the double jab and peppering the visitor with right hands before neatly circling around the canvas.

Two judges scored it 116-112 and the other 115-114 all for Selby. 

For what its worth - and its not a lot - Selby won the IBF Inter-continental title at lightweight and improves his ledger to 27-2.

Debutant British cruiserweight Chez Nihell beat the game Kent Kauppinen (now 2-9) over four rounds. Nihell switched stances and didn’t have everything his own way with the determined, wild Kauppinen whose undisciplined, looping hooks brought both cheers and laugter from the crowd. Referee Lee Emery scored it 39-38.  

Southern area light-heavyweight champ Andre Sterling (now 10-0) decisioned former British title challenger Ricky Summers (now 15-2) in a gruelling, bloody ten round eliminator for the British title held by Callum Johnson.

Summers floored Sterling in the second, landing with a marginally quicker jolting right-hand as both fighters threw the same punch. The Londoner was hurt but able to spoil for the remainder of the round.

Summers, who lost a unanimous decision to then champion Frank Buglioni in 2017 was bloodied around the right eye in the early stages of what became a rough contest.

Sterling landed with the well-drilled left jab and right hand combination while Summers looked bothered by the cut and wary of Sterling’s power. Still, Summers showed some decent variety when up close and landing with shorter punches.

In the sixth Sterling landed with his best punch of the fight, inevitably the straight right, leading the well-supported Summers to hold on, his bloodied face looking messier as the rounds went on.

Sterling, becoming stronger as the rounds wore on, dominated the later rounds, punishing the Staffordshire man with clubbing body shots.

The judges scored unanimously 97-92, 97-92 and 97-93 in favour of Sterling. 

Belfast super-featherweight Anthony Cacace (now 17-1) scored a useful eight round win over tough Argentinian Alan Castillo (now 26-8).

Castillo was on a five bout winning run but at several levels below the Northern Irishman. Cacace has been in rebuilding mode after defeat to Martin J Ward for the British and Commonwealth title in 2017 and although this hard won bout will serve him well, could do with a meaningful challenge to get his career fully back on track.

The referee Lee Emery scored it 79-74.