Copper Box results and reports
A recap of an action-packed night at the Copper Box Arena that saw Daniel Dubois add the WBC Silver to his heavyweight title collection, Liam Williams secure No.1 spot in the WBO middleweight pecking order and Sunny Edwards win the British super flyweight title.
There were 15 fights on the bumper card and a summary from start to finish is below.
By Richard Hubbard
6 x 3 International Cruiserweight
James Branch jr W RSC 2.34 R4 Istvan Orsos
Two clubbing right hooks finally saw the veteran Hungarian Orsos wilt in the second round after a spell of sustained pressure from the unbeaten cruiser Branch, who was on the front foot with jabs and hooks to the body right from the off. Orsos, in truth, became little more than target practice as he survived into the third but every time he looked a beaten man he managed to muster up a couple of shots to prevent the referee calling a halt. A shot to the body sent Orsos down in the fourth and he showed no enthusiasm to continue or in position to continue according to the referee.
4 x 3 Welterweight
Mickey Burke jr W pts 40-36 MJ Hall
It was a typically robust beginning from the iBox Gym-trained welterweight who set about his opponent with customary fire. Hall, with only two wins to his name, has only been stopped four times across his 48 defeats so is well versed in absorbing punishment from eager prospects. Hall was bloodied around the nose and Burke was warned for use of the head in round three. Burke grew a little weary over the stubbornness of his opponent but still eased to a 40-36 victory and moved to 3-0.
4 x 3 Featherweight
Louie Lynn W pts 40-36 Brett Fidoe
Loco Lynn slipped straight into fast-forward against the redoubtable Fidoe, who was sent into retreat under and avalanche of punches. Lynn was looking to make a big noise after a year out of the ring. The exchanges up close were equally ferocious and Fidoe shipped some heavy punishment. Lynn remained firmly on the attack from start to finish to record an impressive 40-36 points win on his return to the ring.
4 x 3 Lightweight
Mohammad Bilal Ali W pts 40-36 Jamie Speight
Bilal was the dominant figure in this four rounder right from the first bell, pressurising the battle-hardened Speight, who was always game and not shy of taking a shot. Impressive stuff from Bilal to move to
4 x 3 Super lightweight
Henry Turner W pts 40-35 Naheem Chaudhry
The debut-maker from High Wycombe – a seven-time national champion – showed his class and pedigree, along with a glimpse of what he will bring to the pro ranks. A southpaw counter-puncher by nature, Turner had to force the issue more against the stubbornly defensive Chaudhry, who started taunting the 19-year-old in the second round after a succession of shots landed to head andf body. Chaudhry was floored in the third from a devilish right hand. Chaudhry tried to put it on the youngster in the fourth, but his footwork and shot selection was too much and withstood the feisty revival.
6 x 3 Super bantamweight
Chris Bourke W KO 2.46 R3 Louis Norman
A first proper test for Streatham puncher Bourke in his sixth fight against a previously title challenging opponent in Norman. The first was close as the pair worked each other out, with Bourke probably edging. It continued in a nip and tuck fashion, with Norman being the more cautious before in the third round a clubbing left hook from Bourke caught him flush and he was knocked out cold to the canvas. Bourke moves to 6-0 in a brutal fashion.
4 x 3 Lightweight
Sam Noakes W RSC 2.07 R3 Daryl Pearce
Noakes started with familiar gusto and set about Pearce from the first bell. His approach was attack-minded, but he did display some subtlety to his work and clever footwork when it was called for. Then the bombs came out in rounds two and three and Pearce nearly came unstuck when a sequence of uppercuts were issued by sender Noakes. He was quickly spared further punishment.
8 x 3 International middleweight
Denzel Bentley W RSC 1.35 R2 Adam Grabiec
The head of Grabiec took an absolute pounding for the duration of the first round and it was a minor miracle he survived to see as second. The sustained beating continued before referee Jeff Hinds sensibly called it quits 95 seconds into the round.
VACANT IBF EUROPEAN SUPER WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
10 x 3
Troy Williamson W RSC 1.55 R10 Dario Socci
The Darlington man known as Trojan started the stronger but found he would not have it all his own way against the ‘Italian Trouble’ who has not been stopped before and appeared to be a tidy looking fighter with a fluent jab. Williamson was hitting plenty but also getting hit as a fascinating tussle unfolded. The trading was hellacious and neither fighter seemed overly concerned with defence, but the cleaner more destructive work was coming from Williamson who you suspected was doing enough to win the rounds. The 31-year-old, who resides in Berlin, must have a head made of stone given his unflinching reaction to some huge hits from the younger man by three years. Socci, who was cut in the sixth, then had a point deducted by referee Steve Gray for the repeated offence of spitting out his gumshield. Williamson started picking his shots a bit more in the seventh, quality over quantity, as Socci’s resolve seemed to be wavering ever so slightly.Another point was taken away in the ninthn but Socciremained defiant until a stunning left hook grounded him in the final round and Gray insisted enough was enough.Williamson wins IBF strap in his 14th pro fight.
THE VACANT BRITISH SUPER FLYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
12 x 3
Sunny Edwards W pts Marcel Braithwaite
The opening minutes were unusually scruffy for a Sunny Edwards fight, with the Sheffield-based slickster getting grabbed into clinches whenever he landed a shot. Edwards did land a couple of telling ones early on, but the Braithwaite masterplan was clearly to get up very close and thwart the skilful stuff. Edwards hit the bullseye with two brilliant strikes in the third one with either hand, but Braithwaite’s tactic of spoiling and holding needed the attention of the referee, who was looking but taking no action. The Liverpool man was sticking in there and holding his own, landing the occasional shot that stung Edwards into speedy retaliation. A couple of excellently executed hooks sent Edwards down to the canvas in the seventh. He got up at eight and then used his quick feet to stay out of bother for the rest of the round. A right hand appeared to rock Edwards again in the ninth but he quickly got back on his toes, although he did suffer a cut towards the end of the round. Even though it was generally suspected that Edwards was just about doing enough to bank the majority of the rounds, it was hard work and he was not at his slippery and spiteful best. Towards the end Edwards was in a rhythm looking his normal self, but credit to Braithwaite for knocking him out of hid cultured stride. The judges scored it 118-109 and 117-110 x 2 in favour of new British champion Sunny Edwards.
4 x 3 International heavyweight
David Adeleye W RSC 2.25 R1 Dmitrij Kalinovskij
Debut-maker Adeleye loaded up the right hands from the opening bell and barely let Kalinovskij off the hook until he was saved from himself after a sustained assault came close to having him over in the blue corner. It was an impressive start from the new heavyweight kid on the block.
VACANT WBO INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP AND FINAL ELIMINATOR FOR THE WBO WORLD MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Liam Williams W TKO 2.59 R5 Alantez Fox
Leather was thrown and missed the target early on before Williams found his range first and engaged in smart work to the body, before seemingly rocking Fox on at least two occasions to the head. Williams was getting his distance just right against the much taller man and Fox was shuffling uncomfortably after some second round exchanges. Williams was finding a home for his big right hook and he was putting points in the bank with six minutes on the clock. A huge right in the third again put Williams in charge as Fox struggled to establish any authority in the fight. Williams launched another all-out assault in the fourth that ultimately saw Fox take a count and probably wondering just what he had taken on. Fox was getting bloodied and battered by a Welshman on a mission.
Fox was quite literally spitting blood in the fifth with no respite coming from Williams. To compound his misery Fox was deducted a point for holding. Fox could take no more and was clubbed into submission on the ropes before Steve Graystepped in and called it off.
Williams is now in line for a shot at Demetrius Andrade.
6 x 3 International light heavyweight
Tommy Fury W rsc 1.02 R1 Przemslaw Binienda
Fury swapped a reality TV fling for the boxing ring and returned to work in some style, bashing up inside a round and putting him to the canvas three times. Hand speed and power looked impressive and we now have another Fury making big waves in the business.
WBO INTERNATIONAL AND VACANT WBC SILVER HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
10 x 3
Daniel Dubois W KO 2.10 R2 Kyotaro Fujimoto
Fujimoto appeared a little startled in the opening seconds before getting his feet moving and, aside from getting bounced off the ropes a couple of times, he survived the first round largely intact. The Japanese was felled early in the second and was subsequently pummelled on the ropes before being cleaned out completely by a bludgeoning hook that closed the show. Ten title belts now won by Daniel Dubois in 14 professional fights.
THE WBO EUROPEAN SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
10 x 3
Archie Sharp W pts Artjoms Ramlavs
Sharp took on the late shift in Stratford and, compared to his normal self, was a little sluggish, but was for the most part always bossing the fight against a previously unbeaten opponent. Ramlavs was down in the sixth and later had a point deducted for punching the back of Sharp’s head and two of the three judges had Sharp a landslide winner, with one more generous to Ramlavs. 100-88, 96-92 and 98-90 was the official verdict from ringside.
