Reece Bellotti’s sights are firmly set on winning more titles after knocking out Jason Cunningham to be crowned Commonwealth champion on Friday night.

The featherweight came through a testing clash at York Hall to down his opponent in the sixth round and record the 11th win and 10th stoppage of his professional career.

Bellotti’s appetite for success is, perhaps, his most valuable trait and the South Oxhey fighter is eager to build on his latest success, despite accepting he struggled at times against Cunningham.

“I am looking to win titles, that’s my third pro title, if you’ve got a title you are on my list,” Bellotti said.

“We knew I might lose the first few rounds early on. I knew the body shots were going to get him. He’s a very experienced southpaw, a mover and technically very good, a proper champion.

“The crowd got to me, I rushed my work and was a bit wild. Our game plan was to set a high pace, apply non-stop pressure and dominate the late rounds.”

Cunningham’s experience looked set to prove decisive as the title holder had the better of the opening rounds and Bellotti threw a number of loose punches.

The 26-year-old’s power regularly proves too much for his opponents and he once again showed too much strength as he sent Cunningham to the canvass with a devastating blow in the fifth.

Cunningham never really recovered from the standing seven count and Bellotti came on strong again at the start of the sixth to force a stoppage.

Bellotti’s trainer, Jim McDonnell, who is a former European Champion himself, believes the power possessed by the ‘Bomber’ sets him apart.

“It’s unusual for a featherweight to have a single punch, knockout power, in both hands. Once Cunningham was forced to trade it was all over,” McDonnell said.

“Reece trains hard to be able to go 12 rounds at a very high work-rate. He burnt a bit of nervous energy early on, but was landing a lot of body shots.

“We didn’t expect Cunningham to get to the later rounds.”

Bellotti echoed McDonell’s views on the fight and was pleased with the manner in which he managed to take the fight to Cunningham in the fifth round.

He said: “We were trading in the fifth round and I caught him with a clean right hand, he did well to get up from that.

“The shot had taken everything out of him and the bell saved him. I half caught him with a left right combination at the start of the sixth and the ref jumped in.”

For Cunningham, the loss sees him lose the title he won against Ben Jones after two defences and he was understandably disappointed.

The 28-year-old has resolved to make his way back to a position where he is challenging for titles after feeling he put in a good display against Bellotti.

Cunningham said: “I knew he could hit, but I felt I was winning the fight. I was controlling it, then he caught me.

“I’m gutted he has taken my title. I worked so hard for this, I deserve to be at this level and I’ll get back here again.”