WITH a Welsh title belt round his waist and a new baby on the way it’s double celebration time for Pontypool’s Jeff Evans.

The talented Talywain fighter, trained by former Team Calzaghe star Gary Lockett, beat Llanelli’s Shon Davies to take his Welsh light-heavyweight title at the Newport Centre on Saturday night.

And with second daughter Lily due on June 6, the 29-year-old is on top of the world.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” said Evans. “I’ve won my first title and I’ve got a new baby girl due in a few weeks so I’m a very happy man.”

The full-time welder and fabricator was always in control of the fight, weathering an early storm before opening up the West Walian’s nose with a succession of uppercuts and wearing him down with some well-timed shots to the body.

Davies retired at the start of the seventh round after going down at the end of the sixth. His corner threw in the towel, judging that their man couldn’t continue due to his damaged nose.

“Shon’s a banger, he came out swinging and caught me with a few good shots but he didn’t hurt me,” explained Evans.

“I got a bit excited and dropped my hands a few times but Gary knows what he’s talking about and he was telling me to calm down early on.

“I knew it was going to be a hard fight and in the first few rounds I was picking him off and trying not to get involved in a war.

“I listened to Gary’s instructions and it paid off by the fifth and sixth rounds,” he added. “I was catching him with some solid uppercuts and a few good body shots, which dropped him.

“He was the champion and I knew he was dangerous, particularly in the first six rounds, but I got through it and stopped him earlier than I thought so I’m a very happy man.

“I worked hard, there were no excuses, and it paid off.”

Evans will next be in action on the undercard of stablemate Gavin Rees’ European lightweight title bout against Andy Murray at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena on June 4 – just two days before the baby is due.

“I’ll be fighting on the Matchroom show on June 4 and I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “It was a good job my wife wasn’t watching the fight tonight or we might have had a very early birth. I don’t think she’ll be there for the next one!

“Hopefully this win can be a stepping-stone for me but I’m not looking too far ahead,” he added. “I’m so proud to be a Welsh champion.”

While there was joy for Evans, there was only pain and disappointment for his fellow headliner, Lee Churcher, on the George & Dragon Promotions bill.

Taking on Bargoed’s Gary Cooper for the vacant Welsh middleweight title, Churcher had to settle for a draw in front of his home crowd.

The 30-year-old from Ringland in Newport looked to have won at least three of the four rounds completed when he sustained an accidental injury to his right hand and was unable to continue.

But referee Roddy Evans scored the contest 38-38 and the pair look set for a rematch later this year.

“I didn’t think he’d lost any of the rounds, I thought he’d won three and maybe drawn one,” said Churcher’s trainer, Tony Borg, of St Josephs Gym. “There should be a rematch, there’s not a mark on him and it was just unfortunate with the injury.

“He’s disappointed but he didn’t lose the fight.

“Under the old rules two weeks ago he would have lost it but it’s a draw.

“He’ll learn from this, it’s all about gaining experience and he’ll come back stronger from it.”

On the undercard there were wins for Cefn Fforest fighters Rob Turley (40-36 over Robin Deakin) and Dai Jones on his professional debut (40-35 over Sean Gorman).

St Joseph’s-trained Frankie Borg beat Joe Jones 40-36 and Kerry Hope beat Bobby Wood 40-36, but Newbridge’s Darren Pryce was forced to accept a technical draw against Andy Roberts after going down with cramp in his right leg after just 26 seconds of the first round.