Adams opened up with a flurry of punches in the first round that momentarily seemed to rock her opponent but Walsh regained her composure to trouble the Olympic champion with a few tasty punches of her own.

But Adams always looked the more likely and showed her class in the closing round.

"I'm overwhelmed," said the 31-year-old Yorkshirewoman. 

"I can't believe it.

"The support I have had - I'd like to say thank you to everyone who has turned up today and to those who have supported from home.

"I knew it was close through the rounds but I thought I had done enough to just take it.

"It's definitely been a Scottish rumble in the jungle."

But for her shock defeat to Bulgarian Stoyka Petrova at the quarter-finals of the European Championships in Bucharest back in June she could have potentially held an historic hat-trick of titles following her win at London 2012.

Delight for Adams as she is declared the gold medal winner in Glasgow ©Getty Images




The finals were moved from the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre halls to the 11,000 capacity Hydro and, while there were a few empty seats, the atmosphere inside the arena provided a fitting backdrop to the culmination of the boxing competition here in Glasgow.

That atmosphere was highlighted by the two Scottish wins that were greeted with thunderous acclaim when lightweight Charlie Flynn and light welterweight Josh Taylor closed the afternoon session with superb victories over Joe Fitzpatrick of Northern Ireland and Namibia's Junias Jonas respectively.

Scotland's Olympic lightweight champion at Melbourne 1956 and bronze medallist at Rome 1960, Dick McTaggart presented Flynn with his medal and the young fighter embraced the 78-year-old, considered by many to be Britain's greatest-ever amateur boxer, in a moment that will be played across television screens in the host country for a while to come.

Taylor added gold to his silver from New Delhi four years ago.

Charlie Flynn's win in the lightweight division nearly brought the house down at a packed SSE Hydro during today's boxing finals ©Getty Images




Australian Shelley Watts was a unanimous winner against Indian Laishram Devi in the women's lightweight division however middleweight Savannah Marshall restored the English dominance with a comprehensive victory in the final women's bout on the card.

Northern Ireland's world number two ranked bantamweight Michael Conlan made his superior height and reach advantage count against England's Qais Ashfaq despite the Englishman being ahead on two of the judges' scorecards after a bright opening round.

But Olympic bronze medallist Conlan upped the tempo in rounds two and three to claim a unanimous win.

Northern Ireland team-mate Paddy Barnes created history by becoming the first Home Nations fighter to retain a Commonwealth Games title after he overcame world ranked number three Devendro Laishram of India in the light flyweight division.

Laishram lost the opening two rounds and despite a spirited performance in the last he could not overcome the double Olympic bronze medallist.

"It was a very tough fight - he's a tough competitor and very strong," said 27-year-old Barnes.

"I had my gameplan though - the key thing was to win the first round and I did that."

Never far from controversy, Barnes was caught on television turning to the boxers beside him during the medal ceremony and say "This is not my anthem," as Northern Ireland's national anthem "Oh Danny Boy" was played.

The gesture led to a storm of criticism on Twitter after the fight with the man from Belfast forced to defend himself against accusations of stirring sectarian tensions between Catholic and Protestant supporters of the Northern Ireland team.

At London 2012, while representing Ireland, Barnes held aloft a sign reading: "Open For Sponsors", followed by his Twitter handle which instantly gained him 3,000 new Twitter followers.

Four years earlier, receiving the Olympic bronze medal he had won at Beijing 2008, he was seen saying on the podium: "I don't really want this."

Despite becoming the first Home Nations fighter to retain a Commonwealth Games title Paddy Barnes appeared to be less than moved by a rendition of "Oh Danny Boy" ©Getty Images



Back in the ring Scott Moloney claimed a second gold for Australia as he won against Pakistan's Muhammed Waseem via a split decision which the Pakistani disagreed with waving his fingers at the judges.

Scott Fitzgerald punched his way to gold for England with an awesome display of power that saw his opponent Mandeep Jangra of India given two standing counts.

To be fair to Jangra, he recovered to land a few good shots of his own but was outclassed in the end.

Antony Fowler proved he is the Commonwealth middleweight king as he bagged gold for England and again it was an Indian fighter who succumbed, this time Vijender Vijender.

Like his compatriot Fitzgerald, Fowler made an explosive start by putting Vijender to the canvas with a rocket of a left hand and it looked like the Indian was in trouble.

But to his credit he cleared his head and boxed on valiantly but could make no impression on the impressive Fowler.

David Nyika took a less than popular win in the men's light heavyweight final as he overcame the flamboyant Mauritian Kennedy St Pierre who was a crowd favourite.

There was little to separate the two boxers in truth but the New Zealander was ahead on all judges scorecards, but only just, to become Commonwealth Games champion.

There was disappointment for the Kiwis however in the men's heavyweight contest as David Light lost a close encounter via a split decision to Canadian Samir El-Mais.

Meantime, in the last contest of the Games it was a battle of the "Big Joes" and it was England's Joyce who came out on top as he saw off the challenge of Australia's Goodall.

That left England as the top boxing nation at this year's Games with five gold medals followed by two apiece for hosts Scotland along with Northern Ireland and Australia.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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