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THRU HOCH'S EYES: On Manny-Bradley, Rigo, Bailey-Jones

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Bradley Pacquiao 120609 005aThe hurt feet are a solid mitigator, but Hoch still didn't think Bradley did CLOSE enough to even eke out a draw. (Chris Farina-Top Rank photo)

Caveat: I watched this card at a bar so I didn’t have the liberty to see any of these fights a second time or truly break down any of the fights. These are all relatively real-time opinions.

Caveat Two: I won’t even discuss the ridiculous decision of the Pacquiao-Bradley fight in this column as it deserves its own write-up and I’d rather talk boxing than conspiracy theories. Needless to say, it’s not good for boxing. We frequently hear that putrid decisions like this are ‘black eyes’ for the sport. While this is true, the sport goes on. Very little (other than the poor guys on the wrong end of bad decisions like a Carlos Molina) is actually affected. This is a unique case. This decision was so egregious and it literally sets the sport back years. While the UFC is gaining momentum and boxing is struggling to remain mainstream, we need fights like Pacquiao-Floyd or Pacquiao-Marquez 4 to retain the average fan’s attention. This fight literally sets the sport back as Bradley and Pacquiao will likely have a rematch to settle this. Manny doesn’t have an infinite amount of fights left, and this could really be a tragic waste of energy (see: brain cells) at the very end of Manny’s prime. I guess I did discuss it, but I’ll leave it at that.

Guillermo Rigondeaux-Teon Kennedy notes:

* For my sanity’s sake, let’s just call him Rigo. Rigo is incredible. For lack of a better term, Rigo was perfect in dissecting and destroying Teon Kennedy (who is not exactly a pushover). Rigo saw every punch that Kennedy threw coming and tactfully moved out of harm’s way in what was truly a defensive masterpiece. It was a lesson for young fighters in the art of hitting without getting hit. Not exaggerating, I can’t confirm that Rigo took a single clean punch.This fight was over before it started, and it looked so one-sided and displayed such a talent discrepancy that it looked like an amateur against a professional in a sparring session. This fight was not just lopsided, it was a total mismatch. Even in such a dominant KO victory, Rigo did not look as much electrifying as he did wildly effective. His machine-like efficiency is a terrifying prospect for the division.

* Rigo looks like Floyd the way he fights. His accuracy, efficiency, and ability to technically dominate his opponent with such ease are simply not seen elsewhere.

* Bring on Broner. Let’s not wait for a build-up like Arum tried with Juan Manuel Lopez and Yuriorkis Gamoba… let’s just make the fight.The longer fights are left to marinate, the more they have the opportunity to lose their respective luster like the aforementioned Lopez-Gamboa fight. For that matter, I’d love to see Gamboa-Rigo, too. Maybe it’s a chance for Orlando Salido to pull another upset? Either way, if Rigo can fight at 130, there’s no shortage of great fights for him. Filipino flash? Count me in for that matchup! Rigo has a big future, and at 31, the time is now to make these fights.

* This display of skills really makes you wonder- where would his career be if he wasn’t an amateur in Cuba so long? PPV King? Doubtful due to his style/size, but I don’t think it’s that far off.

Randall Bailey-Mike Jones notes:

* This fight went just as I expected… Mike Jones looked fairly dominant against an older, slower fighter in Randall Bailey (despite not looking all that great in general), but Bailey’s right hand would eventually have its say in the fight. They say power is the last thing to go in a fighter, and Randall Bailey’s right hand has long been one of the hardest punches in the entire sport. Story checks out on that.

* Mike Jones’ prospect label has fizzled the last few years and even if he won this fight that he was clearly leading thru 10, he wouldn’t have done much to up his stock. He backs up too much, doesn’t really let his hands go, and doesn’t have the natural flow between defense and offense that is integral to beating great opponents. He’s either covering up playing defense or firing off pre-conceived combinations that lack creativity. The flow between the two is simply not there. Jones is mildly explosive, but he doesn’t ever make me feel that a great trainer could make him a killer. I mean really, what title holder would you expect/pick him to beat? Still thinking…?

* As the 11thround was starting, I had written in my notes that Mike Jones has proved he’s better than Randall Bailey, but so what? What does proving to be better than a 37-year old gate keeper do to your career if you don’t look exceptional? I had also written that Bailey wasted an opportunity or two when he had Jones hurt by not throwing more punches. And then Bailey dropped the hammer! Boom went the dynamite.

* Bailey’s KO was vicious. Jones was not just knocked down, but literally knocked backwards by the thunderous right hand. It’s extremely rare that you see a fighter actually knocked down and backwards by a punch’s power alone. This comeback KO is what makes boxing the most exciting sport in the world (won’t even get into the suspense of judges’ scorecards). There are no 5-run HR’s in baseball, and there are no 5-point plays in basketball. However, when being blown out for every second of a fight, the omnipresent plausibility of a knockout that can come at any time keeps fight fans engaged until the final bell. Props to Bailey for staying composed and continuing to swing for the fences while losing a fight handily. None of this makes up for Bailey’s pre-fight attire.

Jorge Arce notes

* For all that Jorge Arce is and is not, I just love watching him fight. You know you’re in for a fun fight when he’s involved, so the awkward end to his match was really unfortunate. You could tell just a few minutes into the fight that we were in for a hell of a scrap as both fighters were fighting in tight and landing with authority. I didn’t hear the post-fight interview, but I hope Arce is okay and that both fighters want a rematch. Sign me up as interested in watching it.

Main Event: Pacquiao v. Bradley notes:

* As previously stated, I will not be diving into the absurdity that was this fight’s official decision since the entire boxing world saw that Manny won the fight. For the record, I scored the fight 11-1 for Manny with 2 rounds that could have conceivably been scored for Bradley. Anything more than 4 rounds for Bradley is laughable.

* It was interesting to see that neither guy really cut weight for this 147-lb contest. Neither fighter put on more than 3 lbs after the weigh-in. I’ve always said that weigh-ins should be the day of the fight because a fighter shouldn’t have a competitive advantage in a prize fight because they’re better at cutting weight (I also think cutting weight is dangerous).

* One thing I found interesting watching this fight in a bar by my home in Chicago was that the same bar is usually 10x more packed for UFC PPV events which happen far more frequently. Given the Heat-Celtics game 7 was right before, I expected the bar to be very crowded. It could have been a one-time thing, and it could be a regional thing (maybe Chicago is a big UFC town), but I just found it noteworthy. I digress.

* As far as the actual fight, I thought it went as most expected. What stood out to me was that Manny was faster. His left hand was getting through and Bradley’s right hands were simply not as fast.Manny looked to be in fine form and I still think he beats Floyd Mayweather due to the way their styles match up. While I think Manny definitely missed some punches he usually lands, he still looked a class above an undefeated fighter in Timothy Bradley. Take nothing away from Bradley as he fought through a rolled ankle (and apparently a broken foot) and withstood some very heavy shots from Pacquiao. He continued to try to win the fight until the final bell, but he was simply outgunned as he could not quite match the accuracy, sublime movement, speed and power to keep up with Manny.

* The exchanges were the determining factor of the fight as Bradley instinctually obliged Manny in power-punching exchanges even though he did not once get the better end of them. I figured this would be why Manny would win since Bradley tends to throw loopy punches when firing combinations, but I was impressed with Bradley’s determination.

* The fight did not have too many ebbs and flows as Bradley couldn’t really cut off the ring (broken foot is a fair excuse, I suppose) or take away Manny’s left hand. It was clear to me thru just two rounds that Manny would be controlling the fight if Bradley didn’t drastically alter his approach. He did not. The fight carried on with consistency as Manny out-landed Bradley and also landed the harder punches throughout.

* Jim Lampley, as he always does (because he’s by far the best in the business), said it best: Manny’s punches were moving Timothy Bradley. Whenever Manny landed big shots, Bradley was literally moved backwards or sideways from the punches’ impact. Lampley really doesn’t get enough credit for all of the incredibly astute observations he makes in real-time. He often doesn’t have the liberty to let his thoughts marinate before spitting out incredibly poignant insights with historical context.

* By the time the seventh round ended, the fight was all but over. Bradley was losing wherever the fight was going and he couldn’t mount any significant offense. Manny was simply on cruise control. Bradley’s only hope (it appeared) would be a knockout, or at least a knockdown, but the one knock on Timothy Bradley is that he doesn’t have much power. Bradley is no Randall Bailey in the power department. Factor in Manny’s historically strong chin, and Bradley was just about out of options.

* As the 12thround ended, I closed my tab at the bar and was stumbling to bathroom when I heard the first scorecard read as 115-113 Pacquiao. I stopped dead in my tracks. For one, I couldn’t believe an OFFICIAL judge has the ineptitude to score the fight so close, but I also knew that they only announce cards with a winner’s name in a split decision. I was stunned. Hearing that Bradley won the fight left me (and the entire bar) in genuine shock.I still can’t believe it.

* Not to sound like a broken record, but the fight between Manny and Floyd has to happen now. Like right now. The Bradley rematch should be put on ice, and (God willing) Manny should do whatever needs to be done at the negotiation table to make the fight while he can still win it. Neither guy is truly in their prime anymore, but they’re both close enough to their respective primes that we’d still be seeing who the better man is. We’d see an exciting, fan-friendly fight. Lastly, we’d see it while it still matters.

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Notes and Nuggets from Thomas Hauser: Callum Walsh Returns to Madison Square Garden

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On Sunday, March 16 (the night before St. Patrick’s Day), Callum Walsh continued his move up the junior-middleweight ranks with a brutal first-round knockout of Dean Sutherland at the Hulu Theatre at Madison Square Garden. The seven-bout card promoted by Tom Loeffler featured seven Irish boxers. Walsh stole the show but two non-Irish fighters on the undercard caught the eye.

In the third fight of the evening, Cletus Seldin (known as “The Hebrew Hammer) took on Yeis Gabriel Solano. The last time Seldin fought at Madison Square Garden (March 15, 2024), he took the ring announcer’s microphone after a majority-decision win, dropped to one knee, held out a diamond engagement ring, and asked one Jessica Ostrowski to marry him. The future Mrs. Seldin (who was clad in black leather) said yes, and the happy couple paraded around the ring together. They were married on September 7.

“So I’ve got a ring now,” Seldin says. “And I love married life because I love Jessica.”

A cynic at ringside on Sunday night wondered if Jessica might serve Cletus with a summons and complaint for divorce in the ring after the fight. Not to worry. The couple seems happily married and, after Seldin eked out a majority decision over Solano (now winless in five fights dating back to 2019), Cletus and Jessica announced in the ring that they’re expecting the birth of their first child.

In the next fight of the evening, Irish heavyweight Thomas Carty (255 pounds) brought a 10-0 (9 KOs) record into the ring to face 409-pound Dajuan Calloway (10-3, 9 KOs, 1 KO by).

Carty-Calloway was a poor match for a prospect. A fighter gets relatively little credit for beating a 400-pound opponent. And the problems posed by a physical confrontation with a 400-pound mountain are considerable.

With fifty seconds left in round two, Carty collapsed to the canvas as Calloway spun him around on the inside. Thomas rose, limping badly on a clearly-injured left knee. And referee Jamil Antoine foolishly allowed the bout to continue.

Carty tried to circle away, fell again. And Antoine – more foolishly – instructed the fighters to fight on. There was a third fall that the referee ruled a knockdown. The bell rang. And then the fight was stopped. It goes in the record book as a knockout at 3:00 of the second round.

Worse for Carty, he now appears to be facing surgery followed by a long rehabilitation. There’s no way to know how much further damage was done to his knee in the forty seconds that he was clearly impaired and under assault by a 409-pound man who was trying to knock him unconscious.

But the night belonged to 23-year-old Callum Walsh.

Walsh is from Cork, Ireland, trains in California with Freddie Roach, and came into the ring with a 12-0 (10 KOs) record.

“He’s a pretty good fighter,” Roach says. “He’s getting better. And he works his ass off in the gym.”

Equally important in an age when social media and hype often supersede a fighter’s accomplishments in the ring as the key to marketability. Walsh has the enthusiastic backing of Dana White.

Callum seems more at ease with the media now than when he fought at Madison Square Garden a year ago. And he has a new look. His hair is shorter and no longer dyed blond.

“It’s a new year, so time for a new look,” Walsh explained. Later, he added, “I don’t want to be a prospect anymore. I want to be a contender. I expected the road to be tough. I’ve never had anything easy in my life. I’ve worked as a fisherman. I’ve worked on a cargo ship. I like this job a lot more. They have big plans for me. But I still have to do my job.”

Sutherland, age 26, was born in Scotland and has lived there his entire life. He came to New York with a 19-1 (7 KOs, 1 KO by) record and, prior to fighting Walsh, noted, “I’m under no illusions. Fighting an Irishman on St. Patrick’s Day in New York; it’s all being built up for him. If it goes to the scorecards, no matter how the fight goes, I’m unlikely to get the decision. But when the bell rings, it will be only me and Callum. I’ve watched his fights. I’ve studied his habits and rhythm. I’ve been through hard fights. He’s untested. This is my big opportunity. I’m not here to be part of Callum’s record.”

Talking is easier than fighting. When the hour of reckoning came, Walsh was faster, stronger, better-skilled, and hit harder than Sutherland. Indeed, Callum was so dominant in the early going that round one had the look of a 10-8 round without a knockdown. Then Sutherland was flattened by a right hook at the 2:45 mark and any thoughts as to scoring became irrelevant.

It was Walsh’s best showing to date, although it’s hard to know the degree to which Sutheralnd’s deficiencies contributed to that showing. What’s clear is that Callum is evolving as a fighter. And he’s the kind of fighter who fits nicely with the concept that Turki Alalshikh and Dana White have voiced for a new boxing promotional company. Whether they’ll be willing to put Walsh in tough is an open issue. UFC puts its fighters in tough.

****

There was a void at ringside on Sunday night. After more than four decades on the job, George Ward is no longer with the New York State Athletic Commission.

Ward was the model of what a commission inspector should be. I watched him in the corner and in dressing rooms countless times over the years. A handful of inspectors were as good as he was. Nobody was better. Later, as a deputy commissioner, he performed the thankless back-of-the-house administrative duties on fight night while other deputy commissioners were enjoying the scene at ringside.

George and Robert Orlando (who, like George, is a former New York City corrections officer) also normally presided over pre-fight weigh-ins. That’s worth mentioning here because it ties to one of the more unfortunate incidents that occurred during the tenure of former NYSAC executive director Kim Sumbler.

On November 1, 2019, Kelvin Gastelum weighed in for a UFC 244 match against Darren Till to be contested at Madison Square Garden. The contract weight for the fight was 186 pounds. It was known throughout the MMA community that Gastelum had been having trouble making weight. Before stepping on the scale, he stripped down completely naked and a towel was lifted in front of him to shield his genitals from public view. Then, to everyone’s surprise, his weight was announced as 184 pounds (two pounds under the contract weight).

How did Gastelum make weight? Video of the weigh-in showed him resting his elbow on his coach as he stood on the scale.

Why am I mentioning this now?

Ward and Orlando know all the tricks. While they were readying for the Gastelum-Till weigh-in, Sumbler told them that they were being replaced on the scales by two other commission employees who had been brought to New York City from upstate. They asked why and were told, “Because I said so.”

George Ward was one of the behind-the-scenes people who make boxing work. He’ll be missed.

****

Six years ago, Gene Pantalone wrote a traditional biography of former world lightweight champion Lew Jenkins. Now he has written – shall we say – a creative biography of lightweight great Freddie Welsh.

Welsh was born in Wales in 1886 but spent most of his ring career in the United States. He captured the lightweight crown by decision over Willie Ritchie in 1914 and relinquished it to Benny Leonard three years later. BocRec.com credits him with a 74-5-7 (34 KOs) ring record in bouts that are verified and were officially scored. If “newspaper decisions” are added to the mix, the numbers rise to 121 wins, 29 losses, and 17 draws. Many of the losses came when Welsh was long past his prime. He’s on the short list of boxing’s greatest fighters. The only knock out he suffered was when he lost the title to Leonard.

Chasing The Great Gatsby is styled as a biography of Welsh and also an advocacy brief in support of the proposition that Welsh was the inspiration and model for the title character in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s seminal novel The Great Gatsby. I’m unsure how factually accurate Pantalone’s work is in some places. Also, too often, he uses big words when small ones will suffice. For example:

“He was a pugilistic virtuoso, a pummeling poet with fists of fury and a keen intellect. His duality was evident in every aspect of his being, an amalgamation of the vicious and the benevolent.”

Over the course of 349 pages, that weighs a reader down.

Still, there are some interesting observations and nuggets of information to be mined in Chasing The Great Gatsby. Among my favorites are Pantalone’s description of Jack Dempsey training for his historic 1921 fight against George Carpentier at a “health farm” that Welsh owned in New Jersey; Pantelone’s description of how the stadium that hosted Dempsey-Carpentier was built; and Pantalone’s evaluation of the fight itself, which he calls “a spectacle of titanic proportions,” before adding,” The truth was inescapable. The fight had not lived up to its grandeur, but the event did.”

****

Several of the books that Robert Lipsyte has written during his storied career as a journalist focus on boxing; most notably, Free to Be Muhammad Ali and The Contender (a young adult novel). Lipsyte’s most recent book – Rhino’s Run (published by Harper) – is a young adult novel keyed to high school football, not the sweet science. But the opening sentence bears repeating:

“Punching Josh Kremens didn’t feel as good as I thought it would, and I’d been thinking about it for five years.”

Be honest! Don’t you want to read more?

Thomas Hauser’s email address is thomashauserwriter@gmail.com. His most recent book – MY MOTHER and ME  is a personal memoir available at Amazon.com. https://www.amazon.com/My-Mother-Me-Thomas-Hauser/dp/1955836191/ref=sr_1_1?crid=5C0TEN4M9ZAH&keywords=thomas+hauser&qid=1707662513&sprefix=thomas+hauser%2Caps%2C80&sr=8-1

            In 2004, the Boxing Writers Association of America honored Hauser with the Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence in boxing journalism. In 2019, Hauser was selected for boxing’s highest honor – induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

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Ever-Improving Callum Walsh KOs Dean Sutherland at Madison Square Garden

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Irish luck was not involved as Callum Walsh won the battle of hard-hitting southpaws over Dean Sutherland by knockout on Sunday.

One right hook was all it took.

“You’re never going to beat the Irish,” said Walsh.

In a contest between Celtic super welterweights Walsh (13-0, 11 KOs) retained the WBC Continental America’s title against Sutherland (19-2, 7 KOs) in quick fashion at the Madison Square Garden Theater in Manhattan.

Usually fights between southpaws can be confusing to both contestants. But Walsh had expressed a fondness for fighting lefthanders then vividly exhibited the reasons why.

Walsh, 24, a native of Cork, Ireland, now living and training in Los Angeles, quickly demonstrated why he likes fighting lefties with a steady flow of combinations from the opening bell.

He did not hesitate.

Sutherland, 26, had only lost once before and that was more than two years ago. Against Walsh the Scottish fighter was not hesitant to advance forward but was caught with lefts and right hooks.

After two minutes of scattered blows, Sutherland fought back valiantly and when cornered, Walsh tapped two jabs then unleashed a right hook through the Scottish fighter’s gloves that floored the Aberdeen fighter for the count at 2:45 of the first round.

“I’m feeling very good. Dean Sutherland is a very good opponent. I knew he was going to be dangerous. That was my best opponent,” said Walsh.

It was the fourth consecutive knockout win for Walsh who seems to improve with every single combat.

“I’m looking forward to the future. I’m getting stronger and stronger,” said Walsh who is trained by Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach. “Anyone that comes to me I will take him out.”

Other Bouts

Super featherweight Feargal McCrory (17-1, 9 KOs) survived a knockdown in the fourth to out-muscle Keenan Carbajal (25-5-1, 17 KOs) and batter down the Arizona fighter in the seventh and again in the eighth with volume punching.

Carbajal was deducted a point early for holding in round two, but regained that point when he floored the Irish southpaw during an exchange in the fourth.

Despite suffering a knockdown, McCrory continued stalking Carbajal and floored him in the seventh and eighth with battering blows. Referee Arthur Mercante Jr. stopped the fight without a count.

A rematch between two Irish super middleweights saw Emmet Brennan (6-0) remain undefeated by unanimous decision over Kevin Cronin (9-3-1).

Cronin started quickly with a pressure style and punches flowing against Brennan who resorted to covering and countering. Though it looked like Cronin was building up a lead with a busier style, the judges preferred Brennan’s judicious counters. No knockdowns were scored as all three judges saw Brennan the winner 98-92 after 10 rounds.

Dajuan Calloway (11-3, 9 KOs) emerged the winner by technical knockout over Thomas Carty (10-1) who was unable to continue after two rounds when his leg tangled and thereafter was unable to stand. Because he could not continue the fight was ruled a technical knockout win for Calloway in the heavyweight match.

Also

Cletus “Hebrew Hammer” Seldin (29-1, 23 Kos) defeated Yeis Solano (15-5) by majority decision after eight rounds in a super lightweight contest.

Donagh Keary (1-0) defeated Geral Alicea-Romero (0-1-1) by decision after four.

Light heavyweights Sean O’Bradaigh (0-0-1) and Jefferson Almeida (0-1-1) fought to a majority draw after four.

Photo credit: JP Yim

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Nick Ball Wears Down and Stops TJ Doheny Before the Home Folks in Liverpool

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Fighting in his hometown, Liverpool’s five-foot-two fireplug Nick “The Wrecking” Ball stopped TJ Doheny after 10 progressively more one-sided rounds to retain his WBA belt in the second defense of the featherweight title he won with a hard-earned decision over Raymond Ford in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Referee Michael Alexander, with the assent of Doheny’s corner, waived it off following the bell ending Round 10, much to the chagrin of the brave but mildewed Doheny who burst into tears. But then, Doheny’s right eye was closed shut and he was plainly exhausted. This may be the end of the line for the 38-year-old campaigner from Perth, Australia via Portlaois, Ireland who was 26-5 heading in following his first loss inside the distance which came against pound-for-pound king Naoya Inoue.

There were no knockdowns, but Ball (22-0-1, 13 KOs) was docked a point in round nine for throwing Doheny to the canvas after having previously been warned for this infraction. Earlier, both he and Doheny were warned for an incident that could have ended the bout prematurely. At the end of the first round, Ball extricated himself from a headlock by kicking Doheny in the back of his knee. The challenger’s leg appeared to buckle as he returned to his stool.

Going forward, Ball has many options. The 28-year-old Liverpudlian purportedly relishes a unification fight with WBC belt-holder Stephen Fulton, but the decision ultimately rests with Ball’s promoter Frank Warren.

Other Bouts of Note

In a 12-round bantamweight contest that was close on the scorecards but yet a monotonous affair, Liverpool’s Andrew Cain won a split decision over former WBC flyweight title-holder Charlie Edwards. The scores were 116-112 and 115-114 favoring Cain with judge Steve Gray submitting a disreputable 115-113 tally for Edwards. At stake were a trio of regional titles.

The science of boxing, they say, is about hitting without getting hit. Charlie Edwards is adept at the latter but the hitting part is not in his DNA. He was on his bicycle from the get-go, a style that periodically brought forth a cascade of boos. Cain, who trains in the same gym with Nick Ball, was never able to corner him – Edwards was too elusive – but Cain, to his credit, never lost his composure.

In improving to 14-1 (12), Cain achieved a measure of revenge, in a sense. In his last documented amateur bout, in 2014, Cain was defeated by Charlie’s brother Sunny Edwards, also a former world title-holder at the professional level. Heading in, Charlie Edwards (20-2, 1 NC) was unbeaten in his last 13 which included a comfortable decision over Cristofer Rosales in his flyweight title fight. Charlie relinquished that belt when he could no longer make the weight.

Showboating Cuban lightweight Jadier Herrera, who fought 13 of his first 14 pro fights in his adopted home of Dubai, advanced to 17-0 (15 KOs) with a seventh-round stoppage of spunky but outclassed Mexican import Jose Macias (21-4-2). The official time was 2:31 of round seven.

An all-Liverpool affair between super flyweights Jack Turner (11-0, 10 KOs) and Ryan Farrag (23-6) was over in a jiff. The match, which went next-to-last in the bout order, ended at the 42-second mark of round two. A barrage of punches climaxed by a left hook sent Farrag down hard and the referee waived it off.

The noted spoiler Ionut Baluta, whose former victims include Andrew Cain, forged another upset with a 10-round split decision over local fan favorite Brad Strand. The judges favored Baluta 98-91 and 96-94, out-voting the Italian judge whose 97-93 tally for Strand was deemed the most accurate by the TV pundits.

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