By Terence Dooley

Brian Rose's eighth round TKO win over the previously undefeated Martin Welsh, now 9-1 (1), at the Midway Park leisure centre, Kent on Friday night capped a massive seven days for the Blackpool-based boxer.  Rose successfully defended his English light-middleweight crown for the first time and also became a father earlier in the week.  'Lion' moved to 17-1-1 (5), he has put last year's KO loss to Max Maxwell behind him and is now seeking a fight with British champion Prince Arron, who won the title by defeating Sam Webb in a thriller on the same night.

"I think I could have done it a little earlier but a stoppage is a stoppage.  I won it and got the rounds in.  He did give me a tough fight but I made it hard for myself and could have took it to him from the third or fourth but I didn't - I left it a bit too late.  The uppercut was working because he was dropping his head low, he was a very awkward fighter," admitted the Bobby Rimmer-trained boxer on Frank Maloney's Youtube channel.

"It is forgot about," he said when asked about the loss to Maxwell.  "I wouldn't have performed like that (tonight) if it was still in my head.  It was a heavy defeat and a big shot.  I don't even have to look at that fight now.  I want Prince Arron."

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