By Luke Madeira

Victoria Warehouse Hotel, Manchester - Jordan Gill (19-0, 4 KOs) made a big statement on TV as he took a step closer to a title fight with a victory over Jason Cunningham (23-5, 6 KOs).

The first couple of rounds began in a cagey fashion and Gill became marked up around his left eye.

The fight spring into action in the fourth, a perfectly timed uppercut putting Cunningham on the canvas.

Cunningham recovered well in the fifth though, but Gill was still producing the cleaner work.

A straight right hand followed by a right hook sent Cunningham crashing to the floor for the second time in the sixth session.

Gill followed up with a number of devastating uppercuts and hooks but his opponent stood firm to see out the round.

Despite looking a beaten man, Cunningham dug deep and took over the contest as it came to a close.

Having already been injured, Gill’s eye became severely damaged in the last round under relentless pressure.

The onslaught came too late for Cunningham, however, and Gill took the victory on all three judges’ scorecards by margins of 98-91, 97-92 and 98-90.

The victory means Gill has moved one step closer to a shot at the British featherweight title after winning the official eliminator.

In other action,  Hosea Burton had to go through some tough moments in his victory over Josip Perkovic, moving a step closer to a shot at regaining his British title.

A left hook from Burton shook Perkovic in the first round, the Croatian doing well to survive the round.

Perkovic grew into the fight in the second, drawing blood from the nose of Burton from straight shots with both hands.

Both men had sustained periods of success during the middle rounds, Burton’s jab giving him rest-bite from the relentless pressure Perkovic brought to the ring.

Hosea Burton edged the fight 78-75 on points in the end, but credit must go to both men for a hard fought contest.