AN accidental headbutt brought a premature end to what was developing into an interestingly poised contest between budding welterweights Ramel Lewis and journeyman boxer Glenroy Beckford in the eliminations of the Wray & Nephew Contender Boxing Series 2012 at the Chinese Benevolent Association on Wednesday night.

Lewis, who caused the bloody injury to the right eye of Beckford, was subsequently declared the winner by technical knockout two minutes 57 seconds into the second round by referee Barrington Graham.

Graham, from time, to time was seen examining the injury, but with the round coming to a close and blood kept streaming down from the cut, a last look brought the fateful decision.

On close examination of the cut, the referee then ruled that the damage under the right eyebrow was too severe to continue and declared Lewis the winner by TKO.

When referee Graham called a halt to the contest and ruled Beckford unfit to continue, the more accomplished boxer of the two gym mates was ahead on points on two of the judges’ cards.

Despite being declared the winner, Lewis who was near to tears at the end of the fight, said he “I am very cut up” by the injury and blamed myself for causing it.

“I was aware of the injury and tried to shift my concentration to his left side but things just happened the way it did. He’s quite a decent person and what happened was never my intention,” said Lewis, who was having only his second fight as a pro.

Hi ring record now stands at two from two with both fights coming in the Contender Series where he made his debut against another good fighter in Derrick Spencer and won by unanimous decision. Beckford, on the other hand, has a professional ring record of six wins against eight losses.