Owen's first defence of his British title was booked for 6 April 1978 at Ebbw Vale Leisure Centre. His opponent was fellow Welshman Wayne Evans. The two fighters possessed near identical records; both entered the fight 11–0 with Owen also recording a draw. The fight was eagerly anticipated as it was both the first time the British bantamweight title had been contested in Wales and the first time it had featured two Welsh fighters. Owen was the stronger of the pair in the opening four rounds and Evans was hampered by a knuckle injury that had plagued his career. In the fifth round, Evans caught Owen with a punch that ruptured his eardrum and caused bleeding from the ear. Despite being almost unable to hear on one side, Owen took control of the fight after the fifth round and wore Evans down, eventually knocking him down in the ninth. Evans made it back to his feet for the end of the round but the start of the tenth saw Owen continue his assault, stopping Evans early on to successfully defend his title.