SOLIHULL, England — Conah Walker retained his British welterweight title with a brutal 7th-round knockout of veteran Liam Taylor in front of a raucous Birmingham crowd at the BP Pulse Live Arena.

Walker (16-3-1, 7 KOs), who won the Lonsdale belt with an incredible come-from-behind 11th-round victory over Harry Scarff in January, was the favourite this time around, and for good reason.

Bellowed down to the chorus of 'Hi Ho Wolverhampton', champion Walker looked like a man who would not be denied on a night where so many of his adorning supporters had come together to make their voices heard.

Walker, however, was quickly reminded he was in a serious fight when 34-year-old Taylor (28-3, 14 KOs), likely with his last pop at winning British honours, landed a hard right uppercut to get his man's attention.

Walker finished the opener strong, however, connecting with a clean left hook as Taylor briefly dropped his right hand.

The frenetic pace continued in the 2nd round. Walker continued to plod forward and Taylor, who, with reach in his favour and better-suited at keeping it long, was being dragged into a fight. Referee Bob Williams would grant Taylor a brief reprieve, warning Walker for hitting low, but back the Wolverhampton man came to land thudding blows.

Walker's pressure only increased in the 3rd round. He split Taylor's guard on two occasions with sharp uppercuts and by the end of the round, Taylor's face had blood running down it. Jabs and right hands were winning the day for Walker, too. Taylor was being made to work too hard too early.

Taylor came back with shots of his own in the 4th, for he knew that in order to dissuade Walker from walking forward with such chutzpah, he would have to connect with hard, meaningful shots. A flurry came from Taylor in the middle of the ring; body shots followed by a left and a right hand, but Walker was equal to it all and came back to connect with clubbing shots to the temple himself.

The 5th round was also better for Taylor, who looked to have weathered the early Walker storm. The champion continued to press from the front foot, but the pace of the fight was beginning to tell.

Out came Walker for the 6th, hell-bent on landing something big on Taylor again, and he did with an overhand right which got the Middleton man's attention. Walker also landed numerous times with the jab, rocking Taylor's head back in the process.

Things came to head in a brutal way in the 7th as Taylor, who had worn the proverbial crimson mask since round 3, finally wilted after the pair exchanged left hooks.

With Taylor back into a corner and his legs looking heavy, the Lancashire fighter looked to keep his man off with a right hand followed by a left, but before his could land, Walker connected with a thunderous left of his own, sending Taylor down to the canvas and onto the bottom rope.

Down and counted out after 45 seconds of the 7th, Taylor could only nod as he was walked back to his corner with blood dripping from his nose. Walker, still the British champion, will take some beating at 147 pounds on these shores.

For now, he can enjoy the fruits of another laborious stoppage win in 2025.

He exclaimed in the ring after: "Saudi Arabia, Turki — show me the money!"