Matchroom Boxing has given the 24-year-old contender from Billericay the opportunity to develop into a headline attraction over the past 12 months and the unbeaten Brit has taken his chance with both hands.

He has grown into the role outside of the ring and his dissection of Morello in a main event DAZN streamed worldwide is the latest evidence to suggest that Liddard (15-0, 9 KOs) may just have what it takes to be involved in big nights for years to come.

“You know what they say, pressure is a privilege,” Liddard said after the fight. “The pressure I have of putting on these events for people, stepping up fight after fight is big, but it’s a privilege because God gives it to me because I can handle it and I just want to keep moving forward. I’ve got a legacy to create in this sport, man, and I’m proving it. Twenty-four years old, British, Commonwealth, European titles in 15 fights.”

After seeing their man get dropped in the eighth round, Morello’s corner wisely decided to withdraw him from the 12-round bout before the ninth began. Morello (26-2, 4 KOs) lost inside the distance for the first time in almost 11 years as a pro and had his 11-fight winning streak snapped.

“Hats off to [Morello],” Liddard said. “He was in there for longer than I thought he’d be once I started cracking him. A tough, tough man. He said I had no boxing IQ. I probably could have got him out there a bit earlier if I stepped on the gas, but I wanted to play with him for a bit. You can’t tell me I’ve got no boxing IQ and then I make him miss like that. Come on, man. But listen, respect to him. I appreciate him for coming over and putting up a good fight for as long as it lasted.”

Liddard showed signs of real potential when he produced an eye-catching performance to patiently breakdown the awkward, tough Kieron Conway in their British title fight October 17 at York Hall in London. He followed that up by gritting his teeth and grinding out a hard-fought, unanimous points win over Tyler Denny on March 21 at Copper Box Arena.

Fighting Morello, a southpaw, gave him the ideal opportunity to show another side to his game. Liddard immediately began to stalk the constantly moving Morello, landing a nice short right hand as he backed into the ropes.

Early in the second, a Liddard right moved Morello along the ropes and although his opponent occasionally tried to punch with the Essex man, he was generally on the receiving end.

Morello has strung together a solid run at 160 pounds since moving up from welterweight four years ago. He looked at least one weight division smaller than Liddard, though, at Friday’s weigh-in and was simply outgunned.

Any threat he did carry appeared to be waning by the fourth.

Liddard continued his steady pressure and initiated exchanges whenever he could. One particular burst from Morello seemed to be thrown more out of desperation than being a part of any plan.

Liddard clearly sensed that the pace was beginning to tell on Morello by the fifth and upped the tempo. He didn’t leave Morello alone for a second and it looked like the Italian was on the verge of unraveling physically. He didn’t give up mentally, however.

Rather than putting the pedal to the floor, Liddard surprisingly maintained his pace and Morello bravely dug his toes into the canvas and tried to fight himself out of any difficult situations. He emerged from a seventh-round exchange with a bad cut over his right eye after a head clash.

A breakthrough seemed inevitable and Morello was finally dropped by a chopping right hand just seconds after serving a doctor’s inspection of his damaged right eye in the eighth. Morello got up and survived the round, but his corner had seen enough and stopped the fight between rounds.

Liddard has now won the British, Commonwealth and European middleweight titles within the space of 15 fights and he will now look for the next step toward a world title fight.