Tyler Christopher extended his undefeated record with a unanimous points win over Omar Dill at the Bermuda Boxing Federation’s National Championships on Saturday night.

Christopher, of Controversy Gym, was largely untroubled by Dill, of Forty Rego’s Gym, and chalked up his fifth successive victory in the main event of a four-bout card at CedarBridge Academy.

The 19-year-old southpaw seized the ascendancy from the opening bell, swarming all over his opponent with a flurry of fists, forcing him to retreat against the ropes for much of the first round.

Dill managed to slow down his busier opponent in the second, tieing up Christopher whenever he rushed in, but seemed largely unwilling, or unable, to let his hands go other, barely touching his opponent other than a pair of measured straight rights in the third round.

By then, however, Christopher had already built a sizeable lead and it was no surprise when the welterweight bout was awarded in his favour.

“I thought Omar Dill did a lot better than I expected him to do,” Christopher said. “I’m delighted to improve my record to 5-0 and I thought I was more than deserving of the win.

“I always felt in control and was focused on winning round by round.”

In the opening bout of the night Zain Philpott, of the Bermuda Sanshou Association, secured a split-decision victory over Jashun Thomas who admirably stepped in at the eleventh hour after the withdrawal of his Controversy Gym stable-mate, Robert Somner, because of illness.

Philpott announced himself in style in his debut bout against Shomari Warner, of Police Gym, on the undercard of Nikki Bascome’s professional bout against Mexican Pilo Reyes at the Fairmont Southampton in November. And the 21-year-old continued to impress against a tentative Thomas who spent much of the middleweight bout on the back foot as Philpott controlled the centre of the ring.

“This is only my second boxing fight and I’m just trying to get better at it,” he said. “The first two rounds I wasn’t looking to be too aggressive and was more or less trying to conserve myself because he is very fit.

“The third round I was just looking to leave it all in the ring.”

There was nothing straightforward about the outcome of Jason Lowe’s super-heavyweight bout against debutant Shane Basden.

Midway through the second round Lowe caught Basden with a right hook, a punch his opponent believed to be an illegal blow to the back of the head.

Basden momentarily turned to referee Dwayne Cox in protest, failing to protect himself as Lowe pounced with a heavy right hand to send his rival crashing through the ropes to the canvass. Lowe, of the BSA, quite rightly looked content with his night’s work, only for the bout to be awarded to Basden, of Controversy Gym, via disqualification.

A chorus of boos reverberated around the gymnasium as both boxers left the ring, with Lowe’s corner angrily protesting the decision as their deflated boxer made his way to the dressing room.

A justifiably disgruntled Lowe said he was at loss after being denied victory, with his BSA coaches lodging an immediate appeal.

“I was a fair knockdown for sure and whenever you step into the ring you have to protect yourself at all times,” he said.

“That’s the name of the game and it’s a brutal sport. I caught him with a nice right hook, he backed up, and I went in for the kill. I hit him again and the referee didn’t come in to break anything up.

“I never even saw the referee in my peripheral vision so he wasn’t close. I operated within the rules, it was a clean fight, and hopeful the appeal bears fruit.

“I’m absolutely disgusted right now. I feel robbed.”

There was no such controversy in Keanu Wilson’s bout against Coleman Mills, with the BSA boxer earning a unanimous points win.

Wilson twice floored Mills, of Forty Rego’s, in an all-action opening round with two heavy right hands. Credit to Mills, though, who adjusted in the second round, occasionally catching his energetic rival but never really troubled his younger opponent who was well worth the win.

“I knew [Coleman] is a hard hitter but he kept leaving himself open,” said 20-year-old Wilson, who was named Fighter of the Night. “He was hitting me with one-twos but that was it. I was landing all my punches and throwing my combinations.”