Bellew beats Cleverly by split decision; Joshua, Quigg and Smith pick up wins

Liverpool’s Tony Bellew outpointed Nathan Cleverly via split decision, with scores of 115-114 (Cleverly), 116-112, 115-113 (Bellew). From the onset, the Welshman tried to keep the more powerful Bellew on the outside; however, it seemed clear that Cleverly was reticent to throw his right hand. Whether this was due to an injury with his hand or a tactical decision so he could not be countered with Bellew’s left hook is unclear. 

Both fighters, who previously fought at light-heavyweight, seemed in poor shape, and the lack of conditioning seemed apparent as the output of both fighters was very low; despite both fighters tiring easily, it was Cleverly who seemed to fatigue worse, and was unable to muster the energy to throw back in several of the latter rounds, where Bellew was able to outwork him, landing solid left hooks and body shots to an inactive Cleverly.

The fight was an eliminator for the WBO Cruiserweight belt held by Marco Huck, but many will be asking if either should be fighting at a weight which is clearly too high for both fighters. The lack of action and letharfy of this match-up is testamount to this.

Anthony Joshua continued his knockout streak, stopping Michael Sprott in the first round via TKO. Joshua imposed his will on Sprott from the onset, and after landing a combination which backed Sprott to the ropes, Joshua landing unanswered combinations to head and body which left Sprott defenseless and the referee waved the bout off. 

Joshua continues to increase his recognition in the sport, and this victory will only help this; with the ruthlessness and ease that Joshua is finishing his opponents, 2015 will be a year when Joshua will test his ability against the higher calibre heavyweights and stamp his mark as not only a blue-chip prospect, but a potential future world champion.

George Groves stopped his opponent Denis Douglin in the seventh round; despite the stoppage victory, Groves was unimpressive in the fight, who seemed lethargic and lacking energy in the fight. Douglin was able to tag Groves throughout the fight, and caused a cut on the bridge of the nose of the Londoner in the third round. The left hook was the punch which aided Groves, stunning the American. Douglin was able to rise off the canvas, but took further punishment and the referee waved the bout off. An unimpressive victory, but the victory may lead to Groves fighting Anthony Dirrell for WBC Super Middleweight next year. 

James DeGale knocked out Mexico’s Marco Antonio Periban in the third round; a terrific straight left-hand knocked Periban to the canvas in the third round and the referee waved the bout off due to Periban’s reaction to the punch, the first time Periban has been stopped. DeGale started the fight in an impressive manner, looking sharp and throwing punches with speed and accuracy. A terrific victory for the Londoner, and the performance raises the profile of DeGale to fight Carl Froch or George Groves in the near future, and fight for the IBF Super-Middleweight title in his next bout.

Scott Quigg was victorious over Japan’s Hidoneri Otake via Unanimous Decision with scores of 119-109, 119,109, 118-110. Quigg was able to dominate the fight with terrific shots to the body and solid straight shots to the head. The skills and ability of Quigg were apparent, but perhaps the major story in the fight was the undoubted heart, courage and resilience of Otake, who despite taking punishment every round, continued to fight and make the fight a compelling one. At many times, Otake was able to land shots against Quigg, whose defence at times was porous. Nevertheless, a solid victory for the Bury native, and fans are hoping that 2015 will bring fights of a larger nature, such as Guillermo Rigondeaux, Leo Santa Cruz and Carl Frampton.

Bradley Saunders was able to win via unanimous decision against Latvia’s Ivans Levickis in a six-round match-up. Saunders seemed understandably tentative and over-enthusiastic on a high-profile card, and was trying at times to rush the fight; after a few rounds, Saunders was able to use his jab and ability to outclass his opponent over six rounds to remain undefeated. Post-fight, promoter Eddie Hearn alluded that Saunders will be fighting in his native Newcastle in the near future; a bright prospect from the North East, and the fight will be valuable experience for this talented yet inexperienced fighter.

Callum Smith showed his terrific boxing technique and class to be victorious over Macedonia’s Nikola Sjekloca, by scores of 120-108, 118-111, 118-110. From the onset, Smith from Liverpool, England, showed exceptional patience, poise and boxing ability to outclass the Macedonian, who was his most experienced opponent to date. Smith was able to use his reach advantage throughout the fight, using the jab to disrupt the rhythm of Sjekloca. Smith was able to hurt his opponent with an excellent body shot, and finished the fourth round with terrific shots to the body. Smith continued to show his undoubted ability throughout the fight, landing good punches and showing poise and technique. The match-up was for WBC Eliminator match-up, and the victory will help the Liverpudlian in potential match-ups in the near future against WBC Champion Anthony Dirrell, or domestic match-ups of significance against George Groves or James DeGale.

Jamie McDonnell retains his WBA Bantamweight title in a close and competitive match over Argentina’s Javier Chacon; the match was stopped in the 10th round after Chacon was forced to retire after an injured shoulder. It was a solid bout, with McDonnell using his technique, height and reach against the inside punching and courage of Chacon. Throughout the match, McDonnell used the ring and his reach to keep his opponent on the outside, but Chacon showed his courage and determination by landing good shots to the body of McDonnell throughout to the fight. Chacon was able to make the bout a difficult one for McDonnell, getting inside the reach and jab of the Doncaster fighter by landing solid shots to the body and closing the distance. McDonnell was able to show his superior technique and skill towards the end of the bout. 

The victory may have been underwhelming, but the win was of importance to McDonnell, as he is now scheduled to fight talented Japanese fighter Tomoki Komeda in March 2015. Komeda is a terrific fighter and will undoubtedly be the biggest test of McDonnell’s career to date.

- Qadeer Ali / @AbdulQadeer

- Contributor to www.BehindtheGloves.com

Heiland ends Dublin party with a tenth round stoppage of Matthew Macklin

Jorge Sebastian Heiland knocked out Matthew Macklin in the tenth round to retain his WBC International Championship strap. From the onset, the speed and accuracy of Heiland was apparent and Macklin was constantly being tagged with straight punches to head and body, due to the speed and accuracy of Heiland, and his inability to show head movement. Throughout the fight, Heiland out-worked Macklin, who was unable to land of significance in the fight.

Macklin seemed to tire from the fourth round, and Heiland was able to land his straight left hand at will, and landing several unanswered combinations. Despite this, Macklin was able to show his heart and courage but the crowd sensed that time was ticking for Macklin, and it happened in the tenth round. Heiland landed flush on Macklin, who hit the canvas and Macklin’s legs visibly gave way and the bout was correctly stopped. Macklin took severe punishment on the ropes and seemed to tire very quickly.

Questions will be asked about Macklin’s future after this performance; regardless, he has had a successful career and the skills of Heiland are apparent to see and should be commended for his victory over Matthew Macklin.

Ireland’s John Joe Nevin won via first round knockout over Jack Heath. The silver medalist outclassed the Englishman from the onset. He knocked Heath three times to the canvas with superior technique, speed and accuracy. After the third knockdown, the referee waved the fight off. A terrific performance from Nevin, whose future looks bright and seems to many to be a blue-chip prospect from Ireland.

His promoter wants Nevin to return to Ireland, as well as fighting in USA and across the globe. Regardless where Nevin fights, many will be watching the career of this prodigious talent with intrigue and anticipation.

Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan defeated Anthony Fitzgerald via a stunning first round knockout. From the onset, both fighters started at a fast pace with O’Sullivan visibly quicker and stronger in the opening seconds. O’Sullivan was able to counter the Dublin native with ease and landing terrific jabs to the body, right hands, hooks and finally an uppercut which sent Fitzgerald to the canvas with force. Despite getting to his feet, Fitzgerald was visibly stunned and in no state to continue. A hugely impressive win for O’Sullivan, and called out Matthew Macklin in the post-fight interview. Regardless if Spike is able to get Macklin in the ring next, this was a terrific performance by the Cork native and elevates his name and career to another level.

Khalid Yafai successfully defended his IBF Inter-continental Super Flyweight Championship, winning impressively against Nicaragua’s Everth Briceno via unanimous decision. From the onset, Yafai focused on punishing Brinceno the body and landing hurtful body shots throughout the fight. The focus on the body paid dividends for Yafai, as a body shot knocked Brinceno to the canvas. The Nicaraguan showed courage to carry on, but Yafai continued to dominate him throughout the fight. Yafai continued to find success with the body shots, knocking down Brinceno for the second and third time in the bout. Brinceno showed courage and heart to continue, but the skill and talent of Yafai lead to the wide and unanimous victory.

Anthony Crolla won a unanimous decision over Mizsei Jr.,by 60-54. Throughout the fight, Crolla looked tired and lethargic, missing many of his shots throughout the fight but was able to land some good shots to the body of Mizsei. The win was much needed, however, as his promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed that Crolla will challenge Cuba’s Richard Abril for WBA Lightweight title in early 2015.

Dublin’s Luke Keller recorded a stunning first round victory over Surrey, England’s Gary Boulden. From the onset Keller stalked Boulden and badly hurt the Surrey native with a barrage of punches; Boulden was clearly hurt and in no state to continue, and the referee waved the bout off. A terrific win for Keller, and the fans at the 3Arena showed their appreciation with a raucous ovation for their native son.

Belfast’s Tommy McCarthy stopped his opponent, Czech Republic’s Martin Horak in the second round. The skill and potential of McCarthy was visibly apparent, and stunned Horak in the second round. McCarthy landed a barrage of unanswered punches and the bout was correctly waved off as Horak was unable to protect himself. A solid win for Belfast’s McCarthy, and a bright future seems apparent for him.

Dublin’s Patrick Hyland won a wide unanimous decision over Oszkar Fiko, with scores of 80-72 (x3). Hyland was able to set the tempo from the onset, outworking Fiko to the head and body. Hyland was able to stun his opponent at several junctures, landing solid right hands and good shots to the body. Fiko showed a solid chin and courage to take the shots of Hyland, who showed his class and potential with this victory.

Birmingham’s Sam Eggington recorded a first-round victory over Sebastian Allais with a first-round knockout. Eggington began the fight at a lively pace, landing several solid and accurate punches to the head and body of Allais. Eggington was able to knock his opponent down with a terrific left hook to the body, which clearly hurt Allais and was unable to beat the count. An impressive victory for the Birmingham fighter.

– Qadeer Ali/ @abdulqadeer

– Contributor to www.BehindtheGloves.com

Coyle and Campbell dazzle in front of home crowd

In front of his adoring home fans in Hull, UK, native son Tommy Coyle defeated Michael Katsidis via a spectacular knockout in the second round. Many boxing observers had predicted that due to the relentless and fearless fighting styles of both fighters, this fight would undoubtedly be an entertaining bout: it certainly delivered.

Both fighters started the fight at a tenacious pace, with both finding success with their respective attacks. The second round continued to be fought at a hellacious pace, with both fighters looking to land hurtful punches. Due to the nature of the bout, many expected the bout to feature a knockout and Coyle duly provided. Whilst Katsidis was in the midst of throwing a combination, he was vulnerable to the counter by the Hull native, who landed an exceptional left hook counter which knocked the Australian to the canvas in a brutal manner. The always courageous Katsidis tried his utmost to recover from the counter and was somehow able to rise off the canvas for the count, but was visibly shaken by the punch and the referee correctly waved the bout off, with Katsidis in no fit state to continue.

An exceptional performance from Coyle; many can justifiably state that Katsidis, who has had a storied career showing terrific courage, heart and desire, was a fighter whose best days are long behind him. However, the nature of the victory and the tremendous counter-punch knockout is undoubtedly impressive. After the fight, both fighter and promoter Eddie Hearn showed their enthusiasm for a potential domestic clash between Hull natives, Coyle and Olympic gold medalist, Luke Campbell next year, in what would undoubtedly be a much anticipated event.

Campbell was victorious prior to the main event, recording an impressive fifth round technical knockout over Argentine Daniel Brizuela. From the onset, the Olympic gold medalist showed his exceptional boxing skills and ability, as he continously landed against Brizuela. Campbell was able to hurt his opponent in the third and fourth round, and knocked the Argentine down in the fifth round. Despite making the count, Brizuela was unable to defend himself from the combinations from Campbell, and the referee waved the contest off. It was an impressive performance from Campbell, who displayed impressive boxing skills, technique and sharpness to outclass his opponent.

In a close and entertaining fight, Gavin McDonnell won the vacant WBO Intercontinental Super Bantamweight title, defeating South Africa’s Vusi Malinga via unanimous decision (116-111, 116-111 and 115-113). The fight started at a relatively slow pace, but became a more entertaining affair by the fourth round, with both fighters finding success with their offence; Malinga landing solid shots in close range and McDonnell landing effective punches from the outside. The fight continued to be a close one until the eighth round, whereby McDonnell knocked his man down with a terrific counter punch. Malinga was able to continue and took more punishment from a rejuvenated McDonnell.

However, it seemed as though the eighth round tired the British fighter, as he looked visibly fatigued in the later rounds. Malinga was able to hit McDonnell with some clean and effective punches towards the penultimate rounds. McDonnell showed his heart in the championship rounds, however, and the penultimate rounds were testament to both fighters, who despite being clearly fatigued, continued to fight each other at a high tempo until the final bell. The victory was an important one for the Doncaster native, as the victory was over an experienced and tough opponent in Malingi, and showed his mettle and skill to take the well-deserved unanimous decision.

- Qadeer Ali / @abdulqadeer

- Contributor to www.BehindtheGloves.com

Golovkin, Walters score knockout victories in California

Knockout sensation Gennady Golovkin retained his middleweight title Saturday with a second round technical knockout of Marco Antonio Rubio at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

In a fully sold-out arena, Golovkin, from Karaganda, Kazakhstan, continues to show the sport of boxing why he is considered by so many to be the most exciting fighter today and a future superstar by recording his 18th consecutive knockout victory.

Both fighters started the fight at a high tempo as both fighters exchanged punches. Golovkin’s (31-0, 28 KOs) punches were more telling and accurate in the opening round. Golovkin was able to finish the fight in the second round, landing a thudding left hook to the temple and upper-cut, stunning Rubio.

Golovkin finished Rubio with a powerful left hook that knocked him down, and the bout was waved off by referee Jack Reiss, who deemed Rubio was unable to beat the count. Rubio complained to Reiss that the punch was an illegal blow behind the head. But instant replay proved Reiss correct as he ruled it a legal punch. Rubio seemed to misjudge the count to gain as much time to recover as possible.

Despite Rubio’s complaints and the lack of resistance Saturday night, Golovkin continues to show his unquestionable skill, talent and ability with this performance. The precision, accuracy and power of the Kazakh’s combination punching is a sight to behold, and this performance will only increase the attention and accolades he is receiving.

The talent and enjoyment that Golovkin is providing is undoubted. What most fight fans are anticipating is which fighter will be willing to face him next in the ring. Golovkin has stated his desire to fight four times in 2015, making him undoubtedly one of the most active titleholders in the sport. With such an impressive victory, Golovkin is the new WBC interim champion and mandatory challenger for WBC middleweight belt holder Miguel Cotto.

In an entertaining and dramatic bout, Nicholas Walters sensationally knocked out Filipino star and former top-five pound-for-pound fighter, Nonito Donaire in the sixth round. The fight started at a cautious pace, both fighters measuring their opponents’ distance and attack. Donaire was knocked down to the canvas at the end of the first round, but it was correctly ruled by a slip, with referee Raul Caiz Jr.

The fight began to warm up in the second round as both fighters starting to land telling blows. The fighter known as the “the Filipino Flash” was able to rock Walters with a vicious left hook. The punch clearly stunned Walters, with the bell saving the Axeman from further punishment.

This seemed to spur Walters on, who started to impose his superior strength, power and reach advantage over Donaire in the third round and scored a knock down with a strong uppercut. This knockdown was the first experienced by Donaire in his entire career, who was visibly troubled and hurt by the punch. Walters continued to stalk Donaire down, using his jab and imposing his physical strengths to punish Donaire, who also had to contend with a badly cut right eye. Walters was able to finish the fight emphatically, landing a terrific overhand right to the temple of Donaire, who was badly hurt and unable to beat the count.

A victory for Jamaica’s Walters, whose terrific performance and victory over a well-known boxer will elevate his name in the sport, should set him up for potential future match-ups, including a unification bout of the highest quality with Ukrainian sensation and WBO champion Vasyl Lomachenko or IBF champion Evgency Gradovich. Both fighters were in attendance Saturday and are also promoted by Walters’ promoter Top Rank.

– Qadeer Ali / @abdulqadeer

Anthony Joshua continues to shine

Anthony Joshua continues to shine and show his huge potential and talent, by stopping Dennis Bakhtov in the second round.

Joshua has yet to go past the third round, and wins the vacant WBC International Championship belt. It was an extremely impressive performance by the Watford native, who was able to land his thudding jab and straight cross with frightful accuracy and force from the onset. Bakhtov was visibly shaken by the punches of Joshua and his legs were clearly weakened by Joshua’s barrage, but he showed a solid chin by absorbing the shots of Joshua in the first round. However, he was unable to continue taking the punishing blows of Joshua, with the referee mercifully calling an end to the bout in the second round.

The ability of Joshua to beat his experienced opponent in such a ruthless manner is testament to the skill, quality and dedication of the Olympic gold medalist. Joshua is scheduled to fight fellow Brit Michael Sprott in November. This performance will undoubtedly increase the buzz that Joshua is creating with his hugely impressive victories and has undoubtedly captured the interest and attention of boxing and sport fans with this ruthless performance.

Lee Selby put on an outstanding performance to out-class his opponent, Australian Joel Brunker via a ninth round TKO; the victory means that the fighter from Barry, South Wales is now set for a mandatory shot at IBF featherweight champion, Russia’s Evgeny Gradovich. Selby was able to dominate his opponent by using lateral movement and landing accurate punches to out-box the Australian from the opening moments of the fight.

The aggressiveness of Bruncker was to the Welshman’s advantage, who was able to counter the wider punches of his opponent and show his technical supremacy against the often flat-footed Australian. Selby’s use of lateral movement to create an array of angles to potshot Bruncker and ability to clinch when needed meant that the Barry fighter dominated the fight. Selby was able to hurt the brave Bruncker with a well-placed left hook to the body, and was able to punish his opponent with a barrage of unanswered combinations, which led to the refere waving the contest off.

An impressive performance by Selby, who now has the opportunity to challenge Gradovich for IBF strap in 2015. Selby showed his abundant boxing ability tonight, and a showdown with the relentless and gifted Russian would undoubtedly be a much-anticipated match-up.

In a terrific and entertaining bout, Tyler Goodjohn beat Ricky Boylan to win the vacant BBBofC English light welterweight title via majority decision with two scores of 96-94 and one judge scoring the fight a draw, 96-96. Both fighters started at a fast pace and both landing punches, with Goodjohn able to exploit the poor defensive skills of Boylan early and land at a higher percentage; the bout continued to be fought at a frenetic pace, with both fighters willing to trade. Boylan found success going to the body with effective body-shots, with Goodjohn able to tag Ricky to the head.

Despite both fighters finding success with their offence, it seemed apparent that the defence of Boylan was porous, and the “Tornado” was able to find his opponent with ease in the fifth round and was able to slip and duck the incoming punches. The heart and desire of Goodjohn could not be overlooked, however, and he showed his heart and courage to outwork his opponent in the next two rounds with short, clean and effective punches on the inside; a clash of heads led to a cut over the right eyelid of Goodjohn in the sixth round. The fascinating bout took another turn, with Goodjohn utilising his superior boxing skils, out-boxing his opponent with accurate punches and controlling distance with aplomb. In the tenth and final round, Boylan showed terrific courage to continue pressuring and throwing combinations, but many of the punches did not land, due to the defensive skills of Goodjohn and the inaccuracy of Boylan’s offence. The crowd showed their appreciation for both fighters after an outstanding bout, and rightly so; a brilliant fight.

John Ryder claimed the vacant WBO Inter-continental middleweight championship after a fifth round TKO victory against over-matched opponent, Theophilus Tetteh from Accra, Ghana. The opening round was a tentative one, with both fighters looking to establish their jabs in order to control distance, with little success. Ryder began to warm up in round two, however, with the southpaw from Islington, London beginning to connect with sharp and accurate punches to the head and body of Tetteh. Ryder continued his impressive work in the third round, showing his supremacy over his opponent with fast and accurate combinations which was troubling the Ghanian, whose inability to defend himself from the offense of Ryder led to him holding excessively, leading to the Ghanian losing a point. The fight became a more scrappy and messy affair, with Tetteh continuing to hold and maul. Ryder continued to show his dominance over Tetteh in the fifth round, landing solid shots to the body and head of the Ghanian, who was clearly tiring and showing little resistance. Tetteh continued to hold, which led to a second point deduction for holding. The Londoner looked to finish the Ghanian fighter in the fifth, and Ryder’s effective combination punching and lack of response from Tetteh led to the referee waving the fight off.

– Qadeer Ali /@AbdulQadeer

Warrington takes Euro Glory; Burns, Smith, Rose and Ryan all win.

Josh Warrington became the new EBU (European) featherweight champion after an impressive TKO win over Davide Dieli in the fourth round; The native from Leeds looked very impressive in the bout, showing good speed, technique and a phenomenal work-rate to break down his opponent in front of his appreciative home fans.

Warrington used his jab regularly from the onset, which helped him to land combination punches and gradually broke down the Italian fighter. Dieli was unable to combat the tenacity of Warrington, whose relentless pressure led to the first knockdown in the fourth round. Dieli rose from the canvas to continue, but Warrington continued to land unanswered punches, which led to the referee waving the bout off; a very impressive performance by the Yorkshireman.

Ricky Burns claimed a much-needed victory against Alexandre Lepelley; however, it was clearly apparent that the Coatsbridge native looked sluggish and lethargic. Whether this was due to Burns moving up in weight to Junior Welterweight from Lightweight or due to ring rust, it was an underwhelming performance by the Scotsman.

Burns started the fight on a positive note, using his jab effectively and knocking Lepelley down at the end of the first round with a straight right hand and cuffing left hook. Burns continued to use his jab with success in the second round, keeping distance between himself and his opponent. Burns seemed to tire a little in the third round, with the fight becoming at close quarters, with Burns’ activity declined in comparison to the third round. The latter round of the eight round contest seemed to expose some deficiencies, with the offence of Burns showing lethargy and lacking accuracy, in addition to flaws in his defence. Despite this, Burns was able to outwork his opponent and able to get rid of ring rust. Burns won a clear unanimous decision, but this performance does question how much the former world champion has left and his ability to fight the elite opponents. In the post-fight interview, Burns and his team did suggest Burns may move back down to lightweight after this fight. Whether the uninspired performance was due to ring rust or the increase in weight, it is uncertain how much Burns had left, after such a successful career as a former world champion.

Callum Smith continues his impressive run with a third round TKO over his opponent, Rafael Sosa Pintos from Uruguay. From the onset, Smith from Liverpool effectively closed the distance, with solid footwork and a strong jab in the first round. Callum continued utilising his effective jab and proceeded to throw terrific shots to the body of Pintos. The focus to the body was a fruitful one, as Smith knocked the Uruguayan three times in the third round with terrific shots to the body. The referee proceeded to wave the contest off after the third knockdown. Smith has a bright future in the Super-middleweight division, and this performance helps enhance his name to boxing fans.

In a terrific fight, Dave Ryan claimed the vacant Commonwealth (British Empire) light welterweight title after winning a Majority Decision over Tyrone Nurse; the judges scores were 114-113, 114-113 and 113-114. The action began immediately, with the Bradford native knocking down Nurse in the first ten seconds, an accurate jab which caused a flash knockdown. Nurse endeavoured to box after the knockdown, but was down again in the second round, and was again knocked to the canvas by a well-timed jab from Ryan. Nurse was able to mount a comeback in the coming rounds, as he utilised his his technical ability and skill to win the next few rounds. The second half of the fight was more of an even affair, with terrific exchanges landing for both fighters; Ryan finding success on the inside with body shots and uppercuts, and Nurse with his jab and right hand. Ryan was able to have a very successful ninth round, as hew landing several punches to the head and body of Nurse with no response; Tyrone was able to withstand the punishment, with both fighters showing tremendous courage and heart to fight until the final bell, despite fatigue being clearly apparent by both fighters. A terrific fight between two courageous fighters, with the difference between the two being the early knockdowns scored by Dave Ryan.

Brian Rose rebounded from his loss to WBO Demetrius Andrade earlier this year with a first-round knockout over Argentine Ignacio Lucia Fraga. Rose started off brightly, showing good accuracy with his punches, especially the straight right hand which connected successfully. Rose’s supremacy was apparent, with the Blackpool native able to knock his opponent to the floor thrice in the first round. Lucia was unable to defend himself against Rose’s attack, and was hit at will by the Lancashire fighter. After the third knockdown, the referee stopped the contest, with Fraga in no state to continue.

- Qadeer Ali /@AbdulQadeer

- Contributor for www.BehindtheGloves.com

In an entertaining fight, George Groves defeated Christopher Rebrasse to win the EBU (European) Super Middleweight Championship and become the mandatory for WBC Champion Anthony Dirrell, by scores of 118-110, 118-110 and 117-11.

Both fighters started off working their respective jabs, with Groves finding the target more successfully, landing thudding, clean and effective jabs in the first round. The second round was more competitive, with both fighters starting to land combinations,with Groves landing the more effective and clean punches. George continued his impressive work in the third round, landing effective straight hands and uppercuts, with a straight right in particular seeming to stun the Frenchman.

Rebrasse came back strong in the fourth round, landing punches against the Londoner, with both fighters landing good punches in the fourth. The fight remained competitive through the fifth and sixth rounds, with both fighters finding success; Groves with his jab, Rebrasse with his counter right hands. Both fighters seemed to tire going into the seventh, with the fight being fought at a closer range, and body shots landing for both fighters. Groves was able to land the cleaner, more effective and busier fighter in the championship rounds, showing impressive heart down the stretch.

In the post-fight interview, Groves affirmed that he wants to fight Dirrell as soon as possible; Groves confirmed that he wants to keep active, and also mentioning other fighters including Carl Froch, Paul Smith and Arthur Abraham. Regardless of who Groves fights next, this was a much-needed win after back-to-back losses over countryman Carl Froch, and we hope to see Groves back in the ring soon.

Luke Campbell, 2012 Olympic gold medalist, was victorious over Krysztof Szot with a seventh round stoppage. Campbell showed his superior boxing skills throughout the fight; Szot was courageous and tried to stay competitive, but the quality of Campbell was clearly apparent, with the Olympian able to overwhelm his opponent and record the stoppage over the over-matched opponent. Campbell is now scheduled to fight Daniel Eduardo Brizuela on October 25 for the vacant WBA inter-continental lightweight championship.

Gamal Yafai scored a unanimous points decision victory over Sofiane Bellahcene. Yafai was hurt in the first round by a low blow by Bellacene to the hip, which visibly hurt Yafai. However, Gamal was able to use his superior boxing skills with effective combinations to the body and head to win the rounds. Yafai did state in the post-interview that he hurt his bicep during the fight, thus he relied on his left hand. A good victory for Yafai, who got some valuable experience with this victory.

Khalid ‘Kal’ Yafai, brother of Gamal Yafai, scored an impressive victory via second round knockout over Nicaraguan Herold Molina. Both fighters started at a lively place, with Yafai from the onset focusing on the body; Kal’s focus on the body paid dividends, with a terrific left hook to the body knocking Molina down. The Nicaraguan was able to beat the count and rise to the canvas at the seven count, but seemed visibly hurt, but survived the round. Yafai continued to punish Molina, and knocked his opponent down with a left hook high on the temple; Molina beat the count, but Yafai landed another left hook quickly afterwards, landing a terrific left hook. Molina was unable to continue, improving his record to 12(9KO)-0. An excellent performance by Kal, who captures IBF intercontinental Super Flyweight belt and puts him in contention to fight world-class opposition such as a domestic showdown with Paul Butler in the near future.

– Qadeer Ali / @abdulqadeer

– Contributor for www.BehindtheGloves.com

Scott Quigg successfully defended his WBA world super bantamweight title by defeating Stephane Jamoye at the Phones4U Arena in Manchester, UK. Quigg was originally scheduled to defend his title against Paulus Ambunda, however Ambunda suffered an injury three weeks before the fight; Jamoye accepted the opportunity to fight Quigg. Jamoye has fought some quality opposition in his career, most notably against Shinsuke Yamanaka and Leo Santa Cruz.

Both fighters started the fight a high tempo, with both landing strong shots to the body. Quigg was able to pick off the majority of Jamoye’s punches with his elbows and arms, and landed good shots against Jamoye, most notably to the body of Jamoye. Jamoye increased his activity in the second round, throwing at a higher rate; however, the punches did not seem to bother Quigg, who continued to break down Jamoye with more accurate and meaningful punches. most notably the left hook to the body.

Quigg continued to focus on the body, and knocked Jamoye down with a terrific right hook to the body. Jamoye was hurt by the punch, and despite rising from the canvas before the 10 count, referee Terry O’Connor waved the fight off, as Jamoye was clearly unable to continue.

In the post-fight interview, Quigg affirmed that he wanted to fight domestic rival Carl Frampton, who succesfully captured the IBF super bantamweight with his victory over Kiko Martinez last week in Belfast. Quigg’s promoter agreed with the sentiments of Quigg, affirming that he wanted the fight to take place next, alluding that he may ask Chris Avalos, the IBF mandatory to Frampton and now in association with Matchroom Boxing and Eddie Hearn, to allow Carl Frampton to fight Scott Quigg next. Both Quigg and Joe Gallagher, the trainer of Quigg also mentioned WBC title holder Leo Santa Cruz, who faces Manuel Roman tonight on the undercard of Mayweather-Maidana rematch in Las Vegas as a possible opponent if the fight with Frampton was not feasible. Both seemed uncomfortable with the mention of the linear super bantamweight champion of the World and top 10 pound for pound fighter, Guillermo Rigondeaux, with both understanding the risk and quality of the linear champion from Cuba.

The opportunity for Quigg to fight Frampton is a huge opportunity which would be a terrific domestic match-up; the potential fight between the two fighters has been discussed for some time now, and there is strong demand from boxing fans in UK and from around the world to see this terrific match-up take place.

– Qadeer Ali / @abdulqadeer

– Contributor for www.BehindtheGloves.com

Anthony Joshua beat Konstantin Airich with a third knockout, adding to his unbeaten streak. Anthony Joshua is one of the brightest prospects in boxing; Joshua won gold at 2012 London Olympics, and seems to have the physical and technical ability to have a bright future in the professional ranks.

Joshua started the first round looking extremely sharp, landing clean and hurtful jabs, in addition to landing the right hand against Arich. Joshua continued to show his strong jab and right hand in the second round. Airich survived though, and was able to start the third round, the only opponent to date who has seen the third round against Joshua. However, Joshua landed a terrific right hand in the third round which hurt Airich; Joshua followed up and landed a flurry of punches, with one landing when Airich was on the canvas. Airich survived the count, and the referee proceeded to warn Joshua with the punch when Arich was on the floor. After the warning, Joshua looked to finish Arich, and after landing some hurtful punches, the referee stopped the fight, as Arich was seriously hurt. After the fight, Eddie Hearn looking to progress the quality of Joshua’s opponents. Another impressive victory for Joshua.

The fight between Anthony Crolla and Gamaliel Diaz for the WBO Inter-Continental Lightweight ended on a disappointing note, with a clash of heads and a cut to Gamaliel Diaz meant that the fight ended in a technical draw, due to the fight being stopped before four rounds.

Both fighters started at a measured pace, with the first few rounds being hard to differentiate between the two fighters; Crolla was active and measured with the jab, with Diaz landing solid body shots on the inside. A clash of heads at the end of round three opened a serious cut over the eyelid of Diaz. Diaz stayed on his stool when the bell rang for Round 4, and the referee waved the fight off on advice  due to an accidental handbutt. After the fight, Crolla expressed his disappointment of the outcome of the fight, however the promoter of Crolla, Eddie Hearn, stated that he is planning for Crolla to fight WBA lightweight World Champion, Richard Abril, in his next fight.

In an entertaining fight, Sam Eggington was victorious against Denton Vassell via 8th round TKO for the eliminator of the British welterweight title; it was a competitive fight, with both fighters having success before the impressive finish by Eggington. Eggington started the fight looking sharp, landing clean punches against Vassell. In the third round, Eggington landed a terrific left hook, which stunned Denton Vassell; Eggington continued to catch Vassell with clean and hard punches throughout the round, with Vassell showing courage and heart to survive the round. However, this seemed to awaken Vassell, who made the fourth round a competitive and punished Eggington in the fifth round with terrific inside punching, landing solid uppercuts and body shots from the inside and went upstairs to hurt and stun Eggington with terrific straight punches to the chin. The next few rounds were competitive, with both fighters landed good punches. In the 8th round, Eggington stunned Vassell and followed up with landing accurate combinations, stunning Vassell and the referee stopped the fight, with Vassell in no state to continue.

Scott Cardle scored an impressive first round knockout victory over Kirk Gooding to remain undefeated at 16-0 (4KOs). Both fighters started at a quick pace; Cardle knocked Gooding to the canvas with a well-timed counter uppercut after Gooding was defensively open throwing punches. Gooding survived the count, but Cardle continued to land successive punches, especially the straight right hand. After a number of unanswered right hands, the referee stopped the contest, a stoppage which seemed a tad premature. Regardless, Cardle made an impressive statement with this victory.

– Qadeer Ali / @abdulqadeer

– Contributor for www.BehindtheGloves.com