Jason Booth's remarkable Cinderella story came to an end last night (September 11).
The Nottingham stylist, challenging for a recognised world belt for the first time in a 14-year career, lost a majority decision to IBF world super-bantamweight champion Steve Molitor after 12 absorbing and close rounds on a Frank Maloney (FTM)-promoted show at the Rainton Meadows Area, Houghton-le-Spring.
While Canadian Pasquale Procopio couldn't split the pair at 114 apiece, the other judges - Marcus McDonnell, England, and Alfred Asaro, France - marked the bout 116-113 and 116-112 to the self-styled 'Canadian Kid'.
For what it's worth, i had the champion retaining his crown by the same 116-113 margin as McDonnell.
But smooth-boxing Booth, who looked as nervous in the moments leading up to the fight as i'd seen him in his previous 40 professional outings, can be proud of a performance that saw him push the southpaw all the way.
Jason's out-of-the-ring exploits are well-known - a recovering alcoholic who once was smashed over the head with an iron bar before a fight in 2001 - but proved he belonged with the world elite with a gritty showing.
For me, the 32-year-old East Midlands challenger, who sliced open Molitor in the third, was in a commanding position going into the half-way stage of the 36-minute bout - leading by two points after six.
It looked feasible that the red International Boxing Federation belt was going to ripped away from the slim waist of the 8st 10lbs boss.
But Molitor, 30 and a notoriously slow-starting type, gradually began to find his feet and didn't look back.
Upping his work-rate in the seventh, the now-33-1 (12) two-time world champion unleashed a superb volley of punches to send the slick ex-British, Commonwealth and IBO title-holder on his heels.
Cheered on by younger brother Nicky, who was dropped and outpointed by the same Canadian lefty for the Commonwealth bantamweight strap in 2002, Booth tried to force the action, even turning southpaw, in rounds eight and nine, but the taller Mississauga-based boxer matched him - ripping in uppercuts and body shots to snatch the rounds.
While it's evident Molitor isn't the same fighter who dismantled Michael Hunter on British shores four years ago, he seemed to be a move ahead in the final nine minutes, countering the Strelley-based fighter's high work-rate, excellent foot work and second wind with better-quality and more accurate punches.
At the final bell the solid scrapper known as '2 Smooth' knew, deep down, he hadn't done enough.
Gracious in defeat, Booth, now 36-6 (15), told Sky Sports afterwards : "It [the decision] was a fair one.
"He's a strong lad and i felt his strength as he came in.
"His extra power was stealing the rounds at the end but i gave it my all."
As classy outside the ropes as he is inside them, Molitor was impressed with his English challenger: "He didn't hit hard, but was creative and fast in there tonight.
"This man fought his heart out, but i thought i won it down the stretch," he added.
"It was a great fight and Jason Booth has nothing to be ashamed of with that performance tonight."
And it doesn't look as if this is the end for the gap-toothed three-time European title challenger.
Booth has indicated he's going to fight on and should another Midlander, Leicester's Rendall Munroe, win his WBC super-bantamweight title fight with Toshiaki Nishioka in Japan next month, an all-Midlands world title fight with his close friend may be on the cards.
A fight with Kiko Martinez, the dangerous 24-year-old Spanish puncher who won the vacant European title on the same night in Ireland, is another avenue that could be explored.
Martinez holds a first-round stoppage win over then-European champion Bernard Dunne, who would rebound to capture the WBA world super-bantamweight title two years later, as well as giving the aformentioned Munroe two decent tussles with the EBU belt at stake.
Booth can, on the evidence of last night's showing, come again.
The Nottingham stylist, challenging for a recognised world belt for the first time in a 14-year career, lost a majority decision to IBF world super-bantamweight champion Steve Molitor after 12 absorbing and close rounds on a Frank Maloney (FTM)-promoted show at the Rainton Meadows Area, Houghton-le-Spring.
While Canadian Pasquale Procopio couldn't split the pair at 114 apiece, the other judges - Marcus McDonnell, England, and Alfred Asaro, France - marked the bout 116-113 and 116-112 to the self-styled 'Canadian Kid'.
For what it's worth, i had the champion retaining his crown by the same 116-113 margin as McDonnell.
But smooth-boxing Booth, who looked as nervous in the moments leading up to the fight as i'd seen him in his previous 40 professional outings, can be proud of a performance that saw him push the southpaw all the way.
Jason's out-of-the-ring exploits are well-known - a recovering alcoholic who once was smashed over the head with an iron bar before a fight in 2001 - but proved he belonged with the world elite with a gritty showing.
For me, the 32-year-old East Midlands challenger, who sliced open Molitor in the third, was in a commanding position going into the half-way stage of the 36-minute bout - leading by two points after six.
It looked feasible that the red International Boxing Federation belt was going to ripped away from the slim waist of the 8st 10lbs boss.
But Molitor, 30 and a notoriously slow-starting type, gradually began to find his feet and didn't look back.
Upping his work-rate in the seventh, the now-33-1 (12) two-time world champion unleashed a superb volley of punches to send the slick ex-British, Commonwealth and IBO title-holder on his heels.
Cheered on by younger brother Nicky, who was dropped and outpointed by the same Canadian lefty for the Commonwealth bantamweight strap in 2002, Booth tried to force the action, even turning southpaw, in rounds eight and nine, but the taller Mississauga-based boxer matched him - ripping in uppercuts and body shots to snatch the rounds.
While it's evident Molitor isn't the same fighter who dismantled Michael Hunter on British shores four years ago, he seemed to be a move ahead in the final nine minutes, countering the Strelley-based fighter's high work-rate, excellent foot work and second wind with better-quality and more accurate punches.
At the final bell the solid scrapper known as '2 Smooth' knew, deep down, he hadn't done enough.
Gracious in defeat, Booth, now 36-6 (15), told Sky Sports afterwards : "It [the decision] was a fair one.
"He's a strong lad and i felt his strength as he came in.
"His extra power was stealing the rounds at the end but i gave it my all."
As classy outside the ropes as he is inside them, Molitor was impressed with his English challenger: "He didn't hit hard, but was creative and fast in there tonight.
"This man fought his heart out, but i thought i won it down the stretch," he added.
"It was a great fight and Jason Booth has nothing to be ashamed of with that performance tonight."
And it doesn't look as if this is the end for the gap-toothed three-time European title challenger.
Booth has indicated he's going to fight on and should another Midlander, Leicester's Rendall Munroe, win his WBC super-bantamweight title fight with Toshiaki Nishioka in Japan next month, an all-Midlands world title fight with his close friend may be on the cards.
A fight with Kiko Martinez, the dangerous 24-year-old Spanish puncher who won the vacant European title on the same night in Ireland, is another avenue that could be explored.
Martinez holds a first-round stoppage win over then-European champion Bernard Dunne, who would rebound to capture the WBA world super-bantamweight title two years later, as well as giving the aformentioned Munroe two decent tussles with the EBU belt at stake.
Booth can, on the evidence of last night's showing, come again.
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