Kidlington welterweight Grant McKenna produced a brilliant performance to stop previously-unbeaten James Hale, when Oxford Boxing Academy staged their first tournament of the season at the Kassam Stadium.

It was one of 11 quality bouts on the night which thrilled the 450 crowd.

McKenna gave away 3kg to the tall Hale, from Finchley, and was out-boxed by his more experienced opponent during the first two rounds.

But, with sheer determination and courage, McKenna kept up the pressure and in the third, Hale was rocked by a cluster of powerful shots that made him sway around the ring, forcing him to take a standing 8 count.

A second series of punches caught Hale on the chin and, stuck helplessly on the ropes, forced referee Steve Graham to end the contest.

The second Academy winner on the night was 28-year-old Hungarian-born middleweight Peter Kulcsar, whose intense workrate forced Tamworth's Peter Fallows to retire at the beginning of the second round.

Witney-based welterweight Leon Newman, 23, was too good for James Bick from City of Gloucester, who was stopped inside a round with a powerful uppercut and hooks from both hands.

The Marston Butcher, Mark Dibsdall, underlined his pedigree as one of the country's leading feather- weights by forcing Gloucester rival James Wheatley's corner to throw in the towel at the start of the second round.

RESULTS (Oxford Academy boxers first) Bantamweight: J Otwell lost L Fielding (Tamworth) maj pts.

Featherweight: M Dibsdall bt J Wheatley (Gloucester) rtd 2nd; N Miles lost to M Mehmet (Finchley) pts.

Light welterweight: L Newman bt J Bick (Gloucester) rsc 1st; S Walford lost to K Avery (Tamworth) maj pts; M Maisey lost to C Speed (Coventry) maj pts.

Welterweight: G McKenna bt J Hale (Finchley) TKO 3rd, S Rees lost to P Whitters (Tamworth) pts, D Usher lost to J Gough (Coventrey) maj pts.

Middleweight: P Kulcsar bt P Fallows (Tamworth) rtd 2nd.

Light heavyweight: V Sessegnon lost to T Richardson (Army) maj pts.