CHORLEY'S Michael Jennings retained his WBU welterweight title with a dramatic ninth-round stoppage of Ross Minter at London's ExCel Arena.

But the 31-year-old admitted he was far from happy with his performance.

In what is already being described as one of the fights of the year, referee Micky Vann stepped in to halt the action towards the end of the ninth round - just seconds before the towel was thrown into the ring from Minter's corner.

The challenger from Crawley, who was looking bloodied and battered for much of the fight, had just been floored by a piledriver of a left hook from Jennings - the second time he had been down.

The first came in the fourth round, but Minter, the son of former world middle-weight king Alan, battled back and caused Jennings plenty of problems during the middle rounds.

But Jennings said: "I was surprised at how good a fight Ross put up. I didn't underestimate him, but I thought that I could have boxed a bit better.

"I got the job done - but I know I'm going to get a good telling off because I didn't box my best. I'm going to get some press-ups for the bad things I've done.

"I feel my timing was a little bit off, but I got the win and that's the main thing."

Few would have expected the fight to last as long as it did when Jennings burst out of the traps and sent Minter stumbling with a right hand that caught his opponent flush in the first minute.

And he continued to move well around the ring for the opening five rounds, keeping Minter at distance and picking him off with his jab when he pleased.

He even managed to put his man down in the fourth with a hard right, but Minter was up almost straight away and still looked to come back at the champion, who was simply out boxing his challenger.

However, Jennings, nick-named "The Lurcher" appeared to take his foot off the gas and momentarily allowed Minter back into the fight, becoming flat-footed and drawn into a battle with his opponent.

And for large parts of the eighth round, Minter, who had a cut just above his eye and ugly gashes in and around his left ear, looked like he may just edge it, but in the final 15 seconds Jennings, who was also cut above his left eye, landed two good right uppercuts on the inside which seemed to take Minter's legs away, forcing him to hold on for the final seconds.

Coming out for the ninth round, it was clear Minter's head hadn't cleared and Jennings sensed this, coming forward and throwing a flurry of punches, looking for the stoppage, which came at the end of the three minutes.

Boxing pundit Barry McGuigan has tipped Jennings to go on for European or World glory as soon possible.

He added: "I think they should be rushing him on now. He's 30-year-old and he's got to fight for a European or a World title."