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RINGSIDE REPORT from Top Rank/HBO Show in Texas

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CORPUS CHRISTI—Mikey Garcia  (33-0, 28 KOs) rose to the occasion, after an early knockdown, to score an impressive KO win over tough guy Rocky Martinez (27-2-2, 16 KOs) for the WBO junior lightweight title. The bout took place at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas and was broadcast live as the main event of an HBO tripleheader. Garcia wore purple trunks while Martinez came to the ring adorned in the red, white and blue of the Puerto Rican flag.

Picture above courtesy Rachel McCarson, wife of correspondent Kelsey McCarson.

Garcia started coldly efficient. While Martinez employed a jab, cross combination at a distance, Garcia meant to close the distance with shorter punches. The first was largely a feeling out round. The second was more of the same, though the pace picked up a bit by way of Garcia closing the distance between the two competitors. The action was at a lull until Martinez let lose a thunderous right that sent Garcia straight to his rump. Garcia sat in protest a bit after the knockdown. It appeared to ringsiders the fighter either didn’t know what happened, or he believed a slip could be caused by a flush right hand. Regardless, he rose to his feet to continue and made it out of the round unscathed.

“That happens in boxing,” said Garcia afterwards. “He caught me with a good right hand.”

Both men’s heads were snapped back in Round 3. Martinez landed a stiff one-two, but Garcia backed him up hard after with a powerful jab. When he landed another one a bit later, he seemed fueled by the success of it. Next, Garcia sent that very same hard jab along with a straight left hand behind it. The force of the blows were mighty.

Garcia’s gloves were battering rams in Round 4. Martinez did his best to keep away from harm, but Garcia’s blows were just too strong. Martinez jabbed his way out of danger at times, but could couldn’t get out of the way of Garcia’s rights and lefts. Martinez is a pro’s pro though, so he was able to stay in the fight with hard rights followed with ducking motions to stay in the fight.

Round 5 was similar. Garcia landed the telling blows but Martinez worked hard to stay in contention. Garcia stunned Martinez towards the end of the round. In Round 6, Garcia started landing his left hook. The punch put Martinez off balance and allowed Garcia to open up more penetrating combinations. He stunned Martinez and had him in the corner. Martinez fought out of it but was soon eating even more shots than before. Martinez banged his gloves together in a show of bravery. Garcia responded by banging his own gloves against Martinez’s head and torso until the bell sounded. The mercy was but momentary.

Two overhand rights wobbled Martinez in Round 7. He gamely fought on, but Garcia was teeing off now. Ever the precise puncher, Garcia didn’t push the issue. He waited patiently for his opportunities to make his opponent pay, then took what was there. Martinez backed Garcia up a bit with a right, but another overhand power shot by Garcia shook Martinez yet again before the round was complete.

Round 8 was the end of things for Martinez. Garcia landed two overhand rights to stun his opponent, then followed it up with a devastating left hook to end it. Martinez made it to his knees but no further. Referee Laurence Cole counted the fallen fighter out at :56 of Round 8. The winning punch was beautifully set up and frightfully delivered by the winner, Garcia.

“He was pretty hurt by that one,” said Martinez of the body blow. “I knew it was a good shot.”

With a new title belt in tow, Garcia said he was ready to fight whoever Top Rank put in front of him next. When asked specifically about former Cuban amateur star Yuriorkis Gamboa as a possible opponent, Garcia said he was ready and willing to oblige.

“Why not?” said Garcia. “Let’s do it.”

Donaire Drops Darchinyan Again in Rematch

In the co-main event, Nonito Donaire (32-2, 21 KOs) defeated Vic Darchinyan (39-6-1, 28 KOs) by TKO in Round 9. The rematch of Donaire’s 5-round knockout victory over Darchinyan six years prior turned into a fierce test of wills. This was not the same Vic Darchinyan from back then. This time, the bout was wildly competitive.

Donaire said after the fight he thought Darchinyan broke his cheek early. Speaking to Max Kellerman, Donaire said it helped him decide whether or not he truly wanted to be a fighter.

“Is this it for me?” Donaire asked himself midway through the bout. It wasn’t, though Donaire said it was hard for him to be as patient with the proceedings as his corner wanted.

“I wanted to fight,” said Donaire. “My corner kept telling me to box, box and be smart…but I wanted to fight.”

The two set a measured pace in the first. Each man fought mostly from the outside. Donaire’s straight right hand was the main weapon of the set, with Darchinyan working patiently behind a stuttered jab. Darchinyan, a southpaw, did partially land a looping overhand left right before the bell.

Donaire was more aggressive in Round 2. He came out fast with a jab, setting up right hands and left hooks. Darchinyan appeared bothered by the speed of Donaire’s punches. Donaire stumbled Darchinyan a bit with a right hand but was soon sent reeling back himself by a powerful counter left. Darchinyan was pleased with his newfound trick, and landed another one before the round ended.

Donaire came out in the third a bit more passive than before. Darchinyan’s left hand was finding a home. Darchinyan’s confidence seemed to grow with each passing moment.

Darchinyan landed his left hand in the third. Donaire was aptly trying to jab the danger away, but Darchinyan met the move with guts and guile. Darchinyan landed another left, then seemed to stun Donaire on the ropes with another one. The two men traded flush shots at the end of the round. Donaire’s left hook landed twice, and Darchinyan responded in kind. The two had to be separated as shots continued to be fired after the bell.

Donaire started finding his mark in Round 4. Moving around the ring on his toes, Donaire was able to put Darchinyan where he wanted. Donaire landed a left hook to the body during an early exchange that seemed to catch Darchinyan by surprise. Jabs and crosses were sent to Darchinyan a good bit, but it did not deter the aggressive Armenian. With ten seconds left in the round, Darchinyan landed a hard left that stunned Donaire in the corner. Darchinyan was a raging bull. He let loose a fury of punches until the end of the round.

Round 5 was invigorating for Darchinyan. He was the stalker now. He rose first from his corner in anticipation, and came out the hunter. Donaire circled but Darchinyan stayed on him, patiently aggressive. Hard lefts moved Donaire around the ring, if not landing then just bothering him enough to move his feet to get away from the action. Donaire landed a nice left hook towards the end of the round. Darchinyan responded with aggression but Donaire’s blows were the cleaner.

Donaire’s counters made their mark in Round 6. Darchinyan was mostly unsuccessful save for a tackle he employed when the two men collided mid-ring. Donaire landed on his back with Darchinyan atop him. Referee Lawrence Cole stood both up, cleaned the men’s gloves and the action resumed.

More of the same in Round 7. The men were largely inactive, but each had done enough damage in previous rounds to make opponent wary. If the term “high-speed chess” that’s used to sometimes describe fights is something that actually exists, this fight was it. Both men were moving fast and thinking faster.

In Round 8, the measured pace exploded after Donaire landed several telling blows. Darchinyan stumbled and Donaire attacked. It was time for the left hook, which landed flush, hard and with concussive force. Darchinyan went face down, his body slumped over atop the bottom rope. The brave warrior got to his feet but was visibly hurt. He stumbled around the ring a bit, but gave a brave enough face to Referee Cole to continue. Darchinyan was down seconds later after a stumble that was ruled a slip. Donaire then landed a right hand. The two traded sloppy flurries before Darchinyan found himself backed once again into one corner, then another. Darchinyan was hurt badly now. Donaire threw the kitchen sink at him until Cole wisely waved the bout off at 2:06 of the Round 9.

Darchinyan wanted to continue but wasn’t overly upset about the stoppage. He admitted Donaire caught him with a good punch.

“That’s just the way it goes,” said Darchinyan, who promised before the bout he’d retire Donaire.

Demetrius Andrade Scores Impressive Win Over Martirosyan

In the first televised bout of the evening, junior middleweight Demetrius Andrade (19-0, 13 KOs) overcame a Round 1 knockdown to defeat Vanes Martirosyan (33-0-1, 21 KOs) by split decision. Judges at ringside scored the bout 114-113, 117-110 and 112-115.

Andrade’s ring walk music indicated he’d be the “king of the ring” tonight. It proved to be true. The bout was scheduled for 12 rounds for the vacant WBO light middleweight title. Andrade wore blue trunks trimmed in black. Martirosyan wore red.

Round 1 opened with both men trying to set the pace they wanted. Martirosyan wanted to set traps in order to come forward with aggressive counterpunches. Andrade, a southpaw, preferred staying behind a long and fast jab. Andrade landed a sneaky left hand early, but Martirosyan erased the scoring blow with a counter left hook of his own that sent Andrade down to the floor. Andrade made it up though and kept Martirosyan at bay with movement until the bell sounded.

Andrade reestablished his jab in Round 2. The lanky slickster used it to keep Martirosyan mostly at bay, and followed it up on occasion with his overhand left. Still, Martirosyan got the better of the exchanges the times he made his way under Andrade’s jab.

In Round 3, Martirosyan came out with fire. The stalker used short steps to enter into the fray. When there, he let loose hard hooks and quick one-twos. Andrade tried to counter with shortening up his jab, but Martirosyan was starting to slip and parry it now with more authority.

Good work from long range did Andrade well in Round 4. His left hand lead was landing but Martirosyan didn’t seem bothered by it. It was now all about timing. Martirosyan’s mind was working. He wanted to time Andrade’s left hand in order to land a fight-ender of his own, but couldn’t quite solve the puzzle.

Sweat and spit flew from both men in Round 5. Andrade landed his jabs and crosses. Martirosyan stepped through them at times to land sharper blows of his own. Where that failed, he sent hard hooks to the Andrade’s body. Both men upped the ante a bit at the end of the round. Each sent hard shots in succession, but Martirosyan’s were straighter and landed more forcefully. At times, it appeared as if Andrade was just flailing wildly at his Armenian opponent.

Martirosyan seemed to tire in Round 6, and Andrade seized on it like a lion. Hard lefts from Andrade cracked Martirosyan’s head back like a jack-in-the-box. Once, twice, then three times. Now the speedster was sure of his target, and it showed. Andrade wasn’t wild now. He was an accomplished boxer using precision, speed and accuracy. Martirosyan made show of it but Andrade was taking over now, and the stark contrast was punctuated by a looping left hand from Andrade that smacked Martirosyan before the bell rang.

Andrade found new confidence in his jab in Round 7, and his head movement was now giving Martirosyan trouble. Andrade’s jab and hooking front hand made it difficult for Martirosyan to set his feet and fire. Still, the tough slugger landed with force on occasion, and he threw his punches with vigor. The pattern played itself over in rounds 8 and 9. Andrade’s speed was just too much for the tiring Martirosyan.

Andrade’s quality came out in Round 10. He was in control of the action from start to finish. His long jab was a paintbrush, Martirosyan’s face was the canvas. Straight lefts and right hooks kept the hard-puncher at a distance, and dips and dives made up for the rest when Martirosyan tried to make the action.

Martirosyan seemed in slow motion in Round 11. Andrade’s hands seemed faster than ever. He did just enough to keep Martirosyan at the end of his punches, and shimmied his shoulders at times to show that it was easy for him.

If Andrade believed he had the fight in the bag, he didn’t show in Round 12. He pressed the action using the same tools he used the entire night: jabs, crosses and right hooks. Martirosyan  was just too slow to land anything in return when he tried, and Andrade wasn’t letting off the gas.

Top Rank Prospects Alex Saucedo and Oscar Valdez Remain Undefeated

Two of Top Rank’s best young prospects were on display on Saturday night as part of the untelevised portion of the undercard. Both remain undefeated.

Welterweight prospect Alex Saucedo (11-0, 8 KOs) defeated Steven Hall (6-5, 6 KOs) by TKO in Round 3.

Hall was game, but Saucedo’s hands were too fast, too strong and too easily able to find their mark right from the opening bell. Hall’s head was snapped back in succession in Round 1 by willful jabs and sharp combinations. The pattern continued throughout the six minute and eleven second fight.

Hall crumbled against the ropes and down to his back at the end of Round 2, but made it back to his feet before the count could reach 10. Saucedo landed another brutal hook shortly thereafter but couldn’t follow it up enough to get Hall out before the bell sounded.

Round 3 began with an even more brutal hook from Saucedo. Hall crumbled backwards to the corner from the force of it. Saucedo wisely followed it up with hooks and crosses in rapid-fire succession before the referee halted the bout at 11 seconds of the round.

Featherweight prospect and former Mexican amateur star Oscar Valdez (8-0, 7 KOs) scored a Round 5 knockout over Jesus Lule Raya (6-7, 1 KO). Raya was the type who looked in trouble before he even entered the ring. But he gave it his all when the bell sounded.

It wasn’t enough.

Valdez was patient in Round 1. He stayed out of range, but moved in here and there enough to land punishing left hooks to the body. He augmented the approach with more lateral movement than he probably needed, but he looked crisp and fluid doing it. He was in command.

Round 2 began with more vigor. Raya came forward as if he believed he could win. But Valdez responded with more aggression of his own, much of it sharp jabs. Still, the left hook to the body landed enough times to take the round.

In the third, Valdez stayed in the pocket more. His left hook was now setting up right crosses and lefts to the temple. Raya did his best to keep pace. There was lots of action with neither man relenting.

Round 4 was similar though Raya was content to stay a bit more at a distance this time, possibly in response to catching all those hooks to his torso.

Valdez became the stalker in Round 5. He worked in behind a stiff jab to send hooks downstairs and crosses up the chimney. The end came after Valdez found a home for his overhand right. Then another and another. He landed several of them in succession, the last of which was the knockout punch, a hard left uppercut to the chin.

A count was not needed. Raya was out as 2:48 of the round.

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R.I.P. IBF founder Bob Lee who was Banished from Boxing by the FBI

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“The image some people have of me is disappointing,” said Bob Lee in a 2006 interview, “but I also feel I had a positive impact on the sport…”

Lee, the founder of the International Boxing Federation who died yesterday (Sunday, March 24) at age 91, spoke those words to Philadelphia Daily News boxing writer Bernard Fernandez who was the first person to interview him when he emerged from a federal prison in 2006. Lee served 22 months on charges that included racketeering, money laundering, and tax evasion.

Born and raised in northern New Jersey and a lifelong resident of the Garden State, Lee, a former police detective, founded the International Boxing Federation (henceforth IBF) in 1983 after a failed bid to win the presidency of the World Boxing Association. At the time, there were only two relevant sanctioning bodies, the WBA, then headquartered in Venezuela, and the WBC, headquartered in Mexico. Both organizations were charged with favoring boxers from Spanish-speaking countries in their ratings at the expense of boxers from the United States.

Bob Lee’s brainchild, whose stated mission was to rectify that injustice, achieved instant credibility when Marvin Hagler and Larry Holmes turned their back on the established organizations. Hagler’s 1983 bout with Wilford Scypion and Holmes’ 1984 match with Bonecrusher Smith were world title fights sanctioned exclusively by the IBF, the last of the three extant organizations to do away with 15-round title fights.

Lee’s world was rocked in November of 1999 when a federal grand jury handed down an indictment that accused him and three IBF officials, including his son Robert W. “Robby” Lee Jr., of taking bribes from promoters and managers in return for higher rankings. The FBI, after a two-year investigation, concluded that $338,000 was paid over a 13-year period by individuals representing 23 boxers.

The government’s key witness was C. Douglas Beavers, the longtime chairman of the IBF ratings committee who wore a wire as a government informant in return for immunity and provided video-tape evidence of a $5000 payout in a seedy Virginia motel room. Promoters Bob Arum and Cedric Kushner both testified that they gave the IBF $100,000 to get the organization’s seal of approval for a match between heavyweight champion George Foreman and Axel Schulz (Arum asserted that he paid the money through a middleman, Stan Hoffman). In return, the IBF gave Schulz a “special exemption” to its rules, allowing the German to bypass Michael Moorer who had a rematch clause that would never be honored. (In a sworn deposition, Big George testified that he had no knowledge of any kickback).

After a long-drawn-out trial that consumed four months including 15 days of jury deliberations, Bob Lee was acquitted on all but six of 32 counts. His son, charged with nine counts, was acquitted on all nine. The jury simply did not trust the veracity of many that testified for the prosecution. (No surprise there; after all, they were boxing people.) But neither did the jury buy into the argument that whatever money Lee received was in the form of gifts and gratuities, a common business practice.

The IBF was run by a court-appointed overseer from January of 2000 until the fall of 2003. Under its current head, Daryl Peoples, who came up from the ranks, assuming the presidency in 2010, the IBF has stayed out of the crosshairs of federal prosecutors.

As part of his sentence, Bob Lee was prohibited from having any further dealings with boxing and that would have included buying a ticket to sit in the cheap seats at a boxing card. This was adding insult to injury as Lee’s passion for boxing ran deep. As a boy working as a caddy at a New Jersey golf course, he had met Joe Louis and Sugar Ray Robinson, two of the proudest moments of his life.

As for his contributions to the sport, Lee had this to say in his post-prison talk with Bernard Fernandez: “We instituted the 168-pound [super middleweight] weight class. We took measures to reduce the incidence of eye injuries in boxing. We changed the weigh-in from the day of the fight to the day before, which prevented fighters from entering the ring so dehydrated that they were putting themselves at risk. All these things, and more, were tremendously beneficial to boxing. I’m very proud of all that we accomplished.”

Bob Lee was a tough old bird. Diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 1986, he was insulin-dependent for much of his adult life and yet he lived into his nineties. Although his coloration as a shakedown artist is a stain that will never go away, many people will tell you that, on balance, he was a good man whose lapses ought not define him.

That’s not for us to judge. We send our condolences to his loved ones. May he rest in peace.

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Australia’s Nikita Tszyu Stands Poised to Escape the Long Shadow of His Brother

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They held a confab for the boxing media last week at the spacious Las Vegas gym where WBO super welterweight champion Tim Tszyu has been training for his forthcoming match with Sebastian Fundora. Tim was there, of course, as were many of the fighters in the supporting bouts plus Tim’s younger brother Nikita who was inconspicuous in this gathering.

Nikita Tszyu isn’t on Saturday’s card and so was never spotlighted, but it’s likely that most of the media-types there knew nothing about him. Had they been Aussies, he wouldn’t have been able to blend into the scenery as the Sydneysider is already a major sports personality in the Land Down Under. More than that, he is seemingly on pace to become as big a star as his older brother who has been called the face of boxing in Australia.

In his last start, Nikita wrested the Australian 154-pound title from previously undefeated (10-0) Dylan Biggs. Their bout in the Australian harbor city of Newcastle headlined a pay-per-view telecast.

Nikita was down in the first 45 seconds of the contest and was buzzed in the third, but had Biggs in dire straits in the fourth and ended matters in the next frame with a wicked left hook to the liver. Biggs somehow made it to his feet, but the bout was waived off seconds later as Biggs’ corner was throwing in the towel.

It improved Nikita’s record to 8-0 (7 KOs) and burnished the reputation of the Tszyu dynasty. Collectively, the three Tszyu’s – his Hall of Fame father Kostya, his bother Tim and Nikita – are 48-0 in Australian rings.

Outside the squared circle, Nikita Tszyu, who is 26 years old and looks younger, comes across as thoroughly unspoiled. Talking with him, what started as a formal interview quickly became a relaxed chat between two old souls (as Nikita described himself) enjoying each others company. And as prizefighters go, he sure is different. A college grad, Nikita cited gardening, of all things, when we inquired if he had any hobbies.

As amateurs, Nikita had a deeper background and was more decorated than Tim. But in 2017, he turned his back on boxing to pursue a degree in architecture. He was away from boxing for five years before deciding to give the sport another fling.

“I wanted to be the first person in my family to be smart,” he says tongue-in-cheek when asked how he could abandon a sport that was seemingly in his blood. “My mom wanted one of us to get a college degree,” he says, elaborating. “When it wasn’t going to work out for Tim, it fell on my shoulders.”

As is well known, Nikita’s parents divorced (Nikita was then just starting high school) and his dad then returned to his native Russia and started a new family. But the brothers and their father remain on cordial terms – they speak on the phone periodically – and they are close to Kostya’s parents (their paternal grandparents) who live near Nikita in the Sydney area and are currently watching Nikita’s three dogs, a husky, a French Bulldog, and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. “I can’t imagine a life without them,” says Nikita who, unlike his brother, has no special lady living under his roof.

The family tie extends to the brothers’ trainer Igor Goloubev who is married to their aunt (Kostya’s sister). Uncle Igor, a training partner of Kostya Tszyu in the old days, came to Sydney in 1997 with a touring Russian amateur team and, unlike the famous boxer, never left.

During the lull between the two generations of fighting Tszyus, Igor Goloubev founded a construction company that he still owns. While working for an architectural firm (working remotely because of Covid), Nikita was able to work part-time for his uncle which was good hands-on experience for a future architect.

When Goloubev counsels one of the brothers between rounds, the old becomes new again and this blast from the past doesn’t stop there. The brothers are managed by Newcastle NSW businessman Glen Jennings who formerly managed Kostya, widely considered one of the two or three best junior welterweights of all time. (Jennings says that as a boxer Nikita is more like his dad whereas Tim is more of a pressure fighter.)

Glen Jennings Flanked by Tim and Nikita

Glen Jennings flanked by Tim and Nikita

This is Nikita Tszyu’s second trip to Las Vegas. He was here last year when Tim was preparing for a match with Jermell Charlo. When that match fell out, Nikita used the occasion for a little holiday, the highlight of which was a hike through Northern California’s Redwood Forest, home to the world’s tallest trees.

“Your national parks are the coolest things about America,” he says. As for the food? ”Too much fat,” he says, wrinkling his nose, but that’s a moot point as Team Tszyu now travels with its own chef.

Nikita Tszyu will defend his Australian title on April 24th. At this writing, the opponent is uncertain. Three leading candidates fell by the wayside, two because they lost a fight they were supposed to win, ruining their credibility, and another because he got injured. Finding good opponents may prove to be a recurrent hassle in part because Nikita, unlike his brother, is a southpaw.

Coming up the ladder, Tim Tszyu looked forward to fighting at the MGM Grand where his father won his first title (TKO 6 over Jake Rodriguez in 1995) and had one of his most memorable fights, a second-round stoppage of Zab Judah in 2001. The T-Mobile Arena didn’t exist back then, but sits on MGM Grand property, so Saturday’s fight is a dream come true for the older Tszyu brother.

Looking down the road, it’s easy to envision Nikita becoming a headline attraction here too.

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Dalton Smith KOs Jose Zepeda and Sandy Ryan Stops Terri Harper in England

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Dalton Smith KOs Jose Zepeda and Sandy Ryan Stops Terri Harper in England

England showed off its talent in Sheffield.

Super lightweight prospect Dalton Smith advanced into the championship level and Sandy Ryan proved to be not just another world titlist on Saturday.

Dalton Smith (16-0, 12 KOs) faced the venomous punching power of Jose “Chon” Zepeda (37-5, 28 KOs) and eliminated him with a body shot knockout that left the world title challenger gasping for air at Sheffield Arena in Sheffield, England.

“I had to be on my game. He (Zepeda) puts people to sleep,” said Smith.

If any questions existed on Smith’s ability to compete at the championship level, the 27-year-old answered emphatically with a clinical and professional-style win.

Smith walked into the prize ring realizing that southpaw slugger Zepeda could end the night with a single punch. He carefully measured the California-based fighter’s movements and punching power before stepping on the gas from the second round on.

“He’s a great fighter,” explained Smith of Zepeda. “That’s what made me train harder.”

During the first several rounds the two hard-hitting punchers were able to score. Zepeda clipped Smith with quick rights and occasional lefts but discovered that the British fighter has a chin. That seemed to allow Smith to open-up slightly more with one-two combinations.

After Smith gained serious momentum in the third and fourth rounds, Zepeda shortened up his stride and looked to put on more pressure. In the fifth round Zepeda moved closer into firing range and ran into a right cross to the belly that took the strength out of his legs. Down went Zepeda for the count at 1:25 of the fifth round.

“I was hitting him with clean shots and it wasn’t doing anything,” said Smith of his head attack.

Apparently, the body shot was the answer.

Sandy Ryan Wins Battle of Champions

WBO welterweight titlist Sandy Ryan won the battle between British champions with a pile-driving stoppage of Terri Harper who, after dropping down a weight division but was unable to be competitive.

Ryan (7-1-1, 3 KOs) walked into enemy territory and quieted the pro-Harper (14-2-2, 6 KOs) crowd with a riveting attack at Sheffield Arena. There was no stopping her on this night.

“I’m just happy,” said Ryan, 30, of Derby England.

After spending months in Las Vegas, Nevada living and training away from her home in England, the tall slender fighter Ryan finally was able to lure a fellow British world champion in the boxing ring.

“I was away from family and friends for so long,” Ryan said.

A close first round between the two female champions saw Ryan open up the second round behind a riveting left jab and body shots that made Harper hesitant and gun shy to counter.

Ryan seemed to sense early that she was in control and opened up with five- and six-punch combinations. And when Harper retaliated, Ryan returned fire again almost daring her rival to engage in a free-for-all.

Harper clinched several times in the third round to stymie Ryan’s constant attack, but it was not enough. The WBO titlist seemed even more eager to win by knockout and opened up with little concern of Harper’s counters.

In the fifth round it was obvious that Ryan was in complete control, the only question was if she could maintain the frenetic pace. Again, she opened up with punishing combinations as Harper looked for a solution. Instead, rights and lefts pummeled the super welterweight titlist until the end of the round.

Harper’s corner decided to end the fight, Referee Marcus McDonnell declared Ryan the winner at the end of the fifth round by technical knockout.

“I felt her fading,” said Ryan.

The win by Ryan sets her up for a rematch against Jessica McCaskill who holds the WBA and WBC welterweight titles. Their first encounter ended in a split draw after 10 rounds last September in Orlando, Florida.

Ryan expressed a desire to face any champion.

“Any big fight. All the big names,” Ryan said.

Other Results

Ishmael Davis (13-0) defeated Troy Williamson (20-3-1) by unanimous decision after 12 rounds for a regional middleweight title.

James Flint (14-1-2) handed Campbell Hatton (14-1) fis first defeat as a pro by unanimous decision after 10 rounds in a super lightweight match.

Photo credit: Mark Robinson / Matchroom

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