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
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