HOME favourites Craig Woodruff and Frankie Borg both added another belt to their collections on a big night of boxing at the Newport Centre on Saturday.

Alway fighter Woodruff is already the Welsh lightweight champion, aged 21, and he claimed the British Masters super-featherweight title with a stunning sixth-round knockout victory over Merthyr’s Dai Davies.

And St Joseph’s star Borg added the Welsh middleweight belt to the British Masters super-middleweight title he won last year as he forced Bargoed’s Gary Cooper into submission after six brutal rounds.

Woodruff, trained by former British featherweight champion Steve ‘Sammy’ Sims, is lined up to take on Scotland’s Ronnie Clark for the Celtic title in September but he will have to be sharper than he was on Saturday.

The kid known as ‘Smiler’ was laughing at the experienced Davies but he got caught by some big shots and he was behind on points when he sent the Merthyr man to the canvas with a huge uppercut with 16 seconds remaining in the sixth.

“It was tricky,” admitted Woodruff. “He’s very experienced and I found it tough to get into a rhythm but I got there in the end. I finished it with a big shot.

“I took my time and Sammy told me to stop messing around but he’s an experienced fighter and it’s only my seventh fight.

“I’m 21 now and I’ve got two titles and hopefully the Celtic to come in September as well so I’m happy.”

Borg also got the job done in six rounds, dominating Cooper from the third round onwards with some ferocious combinations and big shots to the body.

Referee Wynford Jones looked to be on the verge of stopping the contest on a number of occasions but the granite-chinned Cooper kept fighting back until trainer Dai Gardiner pulled his man out before the seventh.

“He took a lot of punishment,” said Borg, who has had a difficult 12 months. “I caught him with some big right hands and a few shots to the body but he caught me a few times as well and he kept fighting back. He’s tough.

“I lost my last fight a year ago, then I had to have an operation on my knee and I blew up to more than 14 stones.

“People were looking at me at Christmas and asking if I was going to box again. Was bigger than them and they are big guys so I didn’t want to even get on the scales.

“Eventually I knew I had to get on the bike and get in the gym and six months of hard work has paid off now.”

Also on the Warrior Promotions bill there was an impressive first-round stoppage win for Newport’s Jerome Samuels against Cardiff’s Tom Price.

“That is three wins in a row for me and I feel like I’m going places,” said Samuels, son of former Welsh champion Paul.

“I wasn’t training properly before but now I’m doing what a boxer is meant to do. My genes mean I’m a puncher. My dad is a banger and so am I.

“I’m doing things properly now. I don’t drink anymore and I’ll be back in the gym on Monday morning and working hard. It’s a fresh start for me.

“It’s all a learning process and I’m happy now but I’m keeping my feet on the ground, I’ll keep working hard and look forward to a title fight before the end of the year.”

There were also wins for Swansea’s Jay Harris, who beat Brett Fidoe 40-36 on points, and Pontypridd’s 2010 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Jermaine Asare, who beat Danny Mitchell 39-36 on his pro debut.

And Cardiff pair Craig Kennedy and Peter Ashton, both trained by ex-world champ Steve Robinson, also enjoyed comprehensive points victories. Kennedy beat former cage fighter and boxing novice Will Birkin 60-55, while Ashton overpowered Matt Seawright on his pro debut.

Ashton was due to be fighting Llanelli-based journeyman Billy Smith, who took his own life earlier this week, three years after his twin, Ernie, did the same.

The Newport Centre crowd fell silent in tribute to the 35-year-old as ten bells were sounded, and an auction raised more than £500 for his family.