It was far from an easy day at the office, but Scotney proved her worth against a game challenger.

The home fighter started well, landing a crunching left hook and a jab to the body in round one, before the head clash in a clinch caused blood to pour down from her left eye.

Scotney’s corner went to work on the cut between rounds. Earlier this month, her stablemate Caroline Dubois’ world-title defence ended in a technical draw after an accidental clash of heads.

Motu took the centre of ring and showed strong fundamentals and a willingness to trade, landing an impressive combination in the fourth.

But Scotney began to control the contest with her quick feet. The Catford fighter switched attacks from to head and body, before expertly moving out of range.

Two body shots, an uppercut and three clean rights landed flush on Motu in the fifth.

“Shane, shall I go forward?”, Scotney asker her trainer, Shane McGuigan, before the seventh.

Motu, vying to become New Zealand’s first unified world champion, did not alter her gameplan but Scotney was wise to it.

She continued to pick Motu apart in the closing rounds as the two fighters embraced at the final bell.