Hartlepool boxer Peter Cope loses to Andy Townend in lightweight confrontation

The Hartlepool boxer was stopped by his old rival, known as the KO kid, in the last seconds of the fifth round at the Doncaster Dome.

Cope was beaten almost three years to the day since Townend stopped him in the same venue in a super-featherweight eliminator with the same referee in charge.

Promoter Stefy Bull has dubbed the show 'Repeat or Revenge' and, unfortunately, for Cope, it was the former rather than the latter after ref Mark Lyson waved the bout off after the 26-year-old was put down for the third time.

Cope had visited the canvas in the first of 10 scheduled rounds though it was more a case of being bundled over than a knock-down.

The opener was a tight session but Cope found his rhythm in the second round and performed well in the third and fourth too and things appeared to be going to plan by using his skills to out-box the favourite.

But the Barnsley puncher came out aggressively for the fifth round and both boxers landed scoring shots.

Townend though carried the superior power and when he connected to the top of Cope's head, the southpaw went down.

Cope thumped the canvas with his fist in frustration and got to his feet, only to be felled again by a head shot as Townend's superior strength told.

A third knockdown knockdown followed and while Cope got up again, Mr Lyson had seen enough and halted the contest at two minutes, 47 seconds.

Cope had boxed nicely but had to concede second best to the power of his rival, who clocked up his 14th stoppage in 20 wins.