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Willie Monroe Jr. Will Try To Replicate Feat of His Great-Uncle, Willie “The Worm” Monroe

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Nobody gives Willie Monroe Jr. (19-1, 6 KOs) much of a chance to dethrone WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (32-0, 29 KOs) when they square off in the HBO-televised main event Saturday night in Inglewood, Calif. Oddsmakers have made Monroe, a slick-boxing southpaw with negligible punching power, anywhere from a 15-1 to 20-1 underdog.

But upsets do happen and, well, there is a member of Monroe’s family who knows what it’s like to beat a supposedly unbeatable foe. If it happened once before, why not again?

“I’m hoping that he wins it, and I believe he’s going to do well,” Monroe’s great-uncle and namesake, former middleweight contender Willie “The Worm” Monroe, said from the Sicklerville, N.J., home he shares with his daughter. “It wouldn’t shock me if he wins the fight.”

“The Worm” knows a thing or two about shocking upsets. He is one of only three fighters to have defeated the great Marvin Hagler, and, in some people’s minds, the only one to do so without any hint of controversy. His 10-round, unanimous decision over Hagler on March 9, 1976, in the Spectrum in Philadelphia, was emphatic enough that even the rising superstar from Brockton, Mass., had to admit he had been bested fair and square.

“I controlled Hagler with the jab,” Monroe said in late March 1987, before Hagler’s final bout, a split-decision loss to Sugar Ray Leonard that Hagler to this day has refused to acknowledge or accept. “Threw the uppercut from time to time. I cut him over the eye. He bled so much that night. I found out later I had busted a blood vessel in his nose. I closed both his eyes. I remember that fight real good.”

So does Monroe’s former promoter, J Russell Peltz, who wishes he had a film of “The Worm’s” finest hour as part of his extensive video library. Then again, no one has any footage of what took place on Monroe’s night of nights. There was a blinding snowstorm that not only limited attendance, but prevented a film crew from even making it to the arena.

“Willie Monroe vs. Marvin Hagler (whose first loss, which was hotly disputed, was to Watts) will go down in history as a much bigger, much more significant fight than Willie Monroe Jr. vs. Triple G ever could,” said Peltz, an unabashedly old-school traditionalist. “You got champions on every street corner now. Guys like Willie Monroe and Boogaloo Watts and Cyclone Hart … I hear people say, `How good could they have been? They never even got a title shot!’ Yeah, but it wasn’t that easy back then to get a title shot. (Carlos) Monzon was the king of the middleweight division then. Maybe for a while (Rodrigo) Valdes had a piece of the title, and he was no walk in the park either. Guys had to wait their turn and try to fight their way up the ladder. Now, you win a tournament on ESPN against a bunch of non-contenders (as Monroe Jr. supposedly did in the Boxcino tourney) and the next thing you know, you’re on HBO.”

Peltz’s assessment might be a bit harsh, but at least the Boxcino tournament was televised. Monroe is all too aware that the absence of a fight film has served to lessen the relevance of his landmark conquest of Hagler. To some, unless they see something on TV or on video, it’s like it never happened.

“All I’ve got is some photos, action photos,” he sighed. “But I tell you what, he had never fought a fighter like me. He didn’t know what to do with me. I must have done him some good, though; he never lost again until Leonard, and I’m not too sure about that one. I like to think I sent him back to school.”

The elder Monroe, who turns 66 on June 5, posted a 39-10-1 record with 26 victories inside the distance in a career that spanned from 1969 to ’81. The Rochester, N.Y., native was one of four Philly-based 160-pounders to be ranked among the world’s top 10 in the 1970s, along with Bennie Briscoe, Watts and Hart. When you consider that heavyweights Joe Frazier and Jimmy Young, light heavyweight Matthew Saad Muhammad and bantamweight Jeff Chandler also were active during that era, it constituted perhaps the most glittering golden age of Philadelphia boxing, one perhaps beyond matching.

It was with the idea of honing and refining his ring skills that Monroe, then 23, came to Philly in the mid-1960s. It was a fortuitous move; he soon was under the tutelage of Yank Durham, who took Frazier to the heavyweight championship, and, after Durham passed away, another master of the corner, Eddie Futch. During that halcyon period, Monroe became a marquee attraction in his adopted hometown, regularly fighting his fellow middleweight headliners before large, enthusiastic crowds in the Spectrum.

And when it was finally over – on a fourth-round knockout loss to Willie Edwards on Oct. 24, 1981 – Monroe remained in the area, which explains in part why he has such a lack of familiarity with that part of his family that remained in Rochester, including grand-nephew Willie Monroe Jr.

“I hardly know my nephew, to be honest with you,” Monroe said. “I never really had the chance to get to know him. It’s just one of those things. I came to Philadelphia before he was even born. The same thing goes with his father (Willie Lee Monroe, a super middleweight who posted a 24-4-2 record), who I never got a chance to know either. They were there and I was here, either fighting or traveling. I fought a lot in Europe, too.”

It would have made for an interesting slant on Golovkin-Monroe Jr. had “The Worm’s” 28-year-old relative requested some tips on how to take down “Triple G,” as his great-uncle had taken down Hagler. But that call never was made, from either direction. Time and distance have served to chill whatever relationship they might have had.

“At the end of the day, it’s about what I do,” stressed Monroe Jr., who listed his pugilistic role models as Roy Jones Jr., Sugar Ray Leonard, Pernell Whitaker and Hector “Macho” Camacho. “It doesn’t matter the pedigree or where you come from or what your name is. I really try not to live off what my dad and my uncle did. I’m creating my own legacy. I’ve made it further than both of them already.”

Maybe, and maybe not. Willie the Worm was much more of a puncher than Willie Jr., whose nickname is “The Mongoose,” which might or might not be a nod toward the legendary Archie Moore, minus the original’s high volume of knockouts. But while the elder Monroe says he’ll be rooting for his namesake – “Of course I will; regardless of whatever the situation is, that’s still my blood. Family counts” – he isn’t prepared to fully commit to the notion that his grand-nephew will do unto Golovkin what he did to Hagler.

“I saw his last fight (a 10-round unanimous decision over Brian Vera in the final of the Boxcino tournament) on television,” Monroe said. “He did what he had to and he won. He really wasn’t that impressive, but he won and winning is the main thing.”

Interestingly, Monroe has a much more cordial and warm relationship with Hagler, with whom he swapped punches three times, than with his Rochester relations. They stand as irrefutable proof that friendships sometimes can be forged in the crucible of competition.

“I spent time with Marvin after all three of our fights,” Monroe said. “I even spent time with him in Italy, where he lives now. I fought over there, back in the day. We talked at his hotel and had a great time. There wasn’t any problem. Him and me, we have a lot of respect for each other.”

So, did Monroe realize, after their first bout, that Hagler would eventually become one of the most feared and revered middleweight champions of all time?

“I knew he was going to be good because he was very determined,” Monroe recalled. “He had a great attitude to be in the game. I noticed that. I realized he had the potential to be great.”

If Monroe Jr. has any chance against Golovkin, who comes in with a streak of 19 consecutive knockout victories, it might be if “Triple G” makes the mistake of being overconfident. He is, after all, in prime position for high-visibility, big-money unification bouts with fellow middleweight champs Miguel Cotto and Andy Lee, and maybe a megafight with former WBC/WBA super welterweight titlist Canelo Alvarez, whenever he decides to move up. Also on Golovkin’s wish list — at the top of it, actually — is Floyd Mayweather Jr. Who could blame “Triple G” for viewing Monroe as just another step in his relentless march toward Hagler-like prominence?

“I think this fight will truly be won by ring intelligence,” said Willie Jr.’s trainer, Tony Morgan. “I think that Golovkin makes a lot of mistakes. I think he’s beatable. I think any guy’s beatable if you bring the right plan to the table.

“And I think what we bring to the table is something Gennady’s never seen and realistically can’t prepare for. There’s really only one Willie Monroe.”

That’s probably true. But until further notice, the still-reigning ruler of fighting Willie Monroes is a “Worm” who wriggled on the hook one snowy night in 1976 and got Marvin Hagler to take the bait.

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The Hauser Report: Keyshawn Davis at Madison Square Garden

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The Hauser Report: Keyshawn Davis at Madison Square Garden

Bob Arum promoted his first fight card – Muhammad Ali vs. George Chuvalo – in Toronto on March 29, 1966. Top Rank was formed soon after and is arguably the greatest promotional company in the history of boxing.

Top Rank has promoted more than two thousand fight cards and seven hundred world championship bouts. It has been on the cutting edge of new technologies and was the first major player in boxing to understand and exploit the power of the Hispanic market in the United States.

But Top Rank has been struggling lately. Its roster of elite fighters has gotten smaller. Its lucrative exclusive contract with ESPN expires this summer and won’t be renewed. The company is exploring other options, but so is every other promoter in boxing not tied exclusively to DAZN.

Meanwhile, Arum is doing his best to develop what he hopes will be a new generation of stars. One of these fighters – Keyshawn Davis – was on display before a sold-out crowd of 4,979 at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theatre on Valentine’s Day.

Davis is 25 years old and came into the fight with a 12-and-0 (8 KOs) record. His opponent, 36-year-old Denys Berinchyk (19-0, 9 KOs), was the reigning WBO lightweight champion by virtue of an upset split-decision victory over Emanuel Navarrete last June. Berinchyk had the belt, but the spotlight was on Davis (a 2020 Olympic silver medalist and 6-to-1 betting favorite).

Throughout fight week, Davis had the carriage of a fighter who is undefeated in the professional ranks and knew that the odds were stacked in his favor. He reveled in acting the bully at the final pre-fight press conference where he repeatedly interrupted Berinchyk before getting up from his chair and looming over the Ukrainian. That was followed by an incident at the weigh-in when Keyshawn put his hands on Denys and, as the fighters turned to face the media, stepped into Berinchyk’s space. That earned a shove and tempers flared.

It’s easy for a fighter to act out like that when he’s facing a 6-to-1 underdog. It’s unlikely that Keyshawn would have behaved in the same manner had he been readying to fight – say – Gervonta Davis.

When fight night came, it was just a matter of time until Berinchyk was knocked out. There was no way he could deal with Keyshawn’s speed and power. One guy was fighting in slow motion and the other on fast-forward.

Davis dropped Berinchyk with a body shot in round three and ended matters in round four with a brutal hook to the liver that left Denis gasping for air on the canvas.

Keyshawn has speed, skills, and power. Time will tell if he has a chin and heart.

Davis-Berinchyk highlighted a basic truth about boxing and other sports. Some athletes are simply more physically gifted than others.

LeBron James has a wonderful work ethic. But there are many basketball players who work as hard as LeBron and know the nuances of the game just as well. His physical gifts separate him from the pack. Ditto for Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Judge, and every other elite athlete.

Jack Nicklaus wasn’t just a talented golfer. At age thirteen, Nicklaus ran a 100-yard dash in eleven seconds flat and was the starting quarterback, punter, and placekicker on his junior high school football team. As a high school basketball player, he averaged eighteen points a game on a team that went to the fourth round of the Ohio state championship tournament. That same year, he made twenty-six free throws in a row and was named “all-league” and “honorable mention all-state.” To round out his resume, he played catcher on the school baseball team.

Davis has exceptional physical gifts. The phrase “physically gifted” also applies to 20-year-old Abdullah Mason (16-0, 14 KOs) who dismantled Manuel Jaimes at the Hulu Theater on Friday night. Mason is a legitimate prospect. Like Davis, he has speed, skills, and power. Five months ago, Jaimes went the distance against Rolly Romero. Mason knocked him down four times on the way to a fourth-round stoppage.

Other thoughts on Friday night’s fights at Madison Square Garden include:

Juanma Lopez De Jesus (who represented Puerto Rico at the 2024 Olympics and is the son of former WBO champion Juan Manuel Lopez) made his pro debut at 114 pounds against Bryan Santiago. Santiago was a  typical opponent for a prospect making his pro-debut. Lopez knocked him out at 59-seconds of round one with the first solid punch he landed. After the fight, Santiago literally didn’t know what hit him. For the record, it was an uppercut.

Rohan Polanco turned in a dominant performance, stopping Juan Carlos Torres in two rounds. Keon Davis (Keyshawn’s brother) knocked out an overmatched Ira Johnson, also in the second stanza.

Vito Mielnicki Jr. and Connor Coyle fought to a spirited draw although, in the eyes of this observer, the edge belonged to Mielnicki. And Xander Zayas turned in a solid performance in scoring a ninth-round stoppage over Slawa Spomer. Referee Charlie Fitch might have stepped in a bit too quickly. But Fitch is a good referee. Spomer was getting hit more than he should have been. And according to CompuBox, Slawa had been outlanded 257 to 39.

Top Rank hopes to keep Zayas and Mielnicki on track until there’s a vacant 154-pound belt that they can fight for or a weak champion that one of them can beat.

Two of the favorites on the February 14 card disappointed.

Jared Anderson had been touted as America’s best heavyweight until his deficiencies were exposed and he was knocked down three times en route to a fifth-round stoppage by Martin Bakole on the Crawford-Madrimov undercard in Los Angeles last August. Marios Kollias (born in Greece and now fighting out of Sweden) is a big, strong, very slow fighter with rudimentary skills. Kollias had two fights last year. In one of them, he lost to a Danish fighter named Kem Ljungquist. In the other, he beat a guy named Tamaz Izoria (who has 15 losses in 20 fights and has been knocked out 11 times).

The Jared Anderson who savagely demolished Jerry Forrest at Madison Square Garden two years ago would have made short work of Kollias. But that version of Anderson hasn’t been seen lately. Jared came in for the Kollias fight at a career-high 258 pounds. And he fought like a man who has doubts about whether he wants to continue fighting professionally.

Anderson-Kollias had the feel of a slow sparring session. Kollias’s trunks kept sliding below his protective cup, necessitating repeated stoppages so referee David Fields could adjust them. The only fire Jared showed came near the end of the tenth and final round when he flagrantly fouled Marios by throwing him over his hip to the canvas. Fields should have deducted two points for the unprovoked infraction but let the matter slide. Properly incentivized, Kollias landed his best punches of the night just before the final bell. The scorecards read 99-91, 99-91, 98-92 in Anderson’s favor.

Anderson-Kollias was a dreary fight. Nico Ali Walsh vs. Juan Carlos Guerra was a sad one.

Nico is Muhammad Ali’s grandson and fights in the neighborhood of 157 pounds. He turned pro in 2021 and, after knocking out five of six carefully chosen opponents, went the distance in his next six outings (including one “no contest”). When he entered the ring on Friday night, his record stood at 10-and-1.

Without the “Ali” name, Nico would still be an exceptionally nice young man and a college graduate with myriad talents. People are impressed by him and for good reason. But that doesn’t necessarily translate into being a good fighter.

The buzz that attended the start of Nico’s ring career is gone. He hasn’t improved noticeably as a fighter and doesn’t have the physical gifts necessary to take him beyond the club-fight level.

Guerra was a fungible opponent. The assumption was that Nico would outbox him. Juan Carlos threw wide looping punches throughout the fight and was an inartful aggressor. But inartful aggression is better than no aggression at all.

Nico got hit too much by a guy who – fortunately for Nico – was short on power. He fought tentatively, seldom initiated the action, didn’t counterpunch effectively, and failed to dissuade Guerra from coming forward.

In the final round, trailing badly by any objective measure, Nico didn’t try to pick up the pace.

Four of the rounds clearly belonged to Guerra. The other two were up for grabs. Judges Waleska Roldan and Georgi Gergov scored the bout 58-56 for Guerra.

In a shocker, Ken Ezzo’s scorecard read 58-56 in Nico’s favor.

Most fights aren’t hard to score. A judge has to pay attention, know what he (or she) is watching, and be honest. Ezzo’s scorecard was a disgrace.

It’s still possible that, by virtue of his family name, Nico can be maneuvered to a nice payday on a Riyadh Season card in Saudi Arabia. But he’s getting hit in the head too much. So I’ll repeat what I wrote after watching him fight several years ago:

“Whenever Nico fights, my heart will be in his gloves. But I’d rather that he not fight again. Muhammad Ali sacrificed so much at the altar of boxing – more than enough to obviate the need for sacrifices by any member of his family in the years to come.”

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.

Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank

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Oscar Duarte KOs Miguel Madueno in a Battle of Mexicans at Anaheim

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Oscar Duarte KOs Miguel Madueno in a Battle of Mexicans at Anaheim

No surprise. It was a Mexican beat down.

Oscar Duarte emerged victorious over fellow Mexican slugger Miguel Madueno by knockout to become a regional WBA super lightweight titlist on Saturday.

“Miguel (Madueno) is a gentleman and a warrior,” said Duarte. “He is a tough fighter but it was our night tonight.”

Chihuahua, Mexico’s Duarte (29-2-1, 23 KOs) started slowly but brutally stopped Sinaloa, Mexico’s Madueno who had never been knocked out before. The crowd at Honda Center in Anaheim roared its approval.

Not even new world titlist Keyshawn Davis was able to stop Madueno last July.

The taller Madueno opened up the first two rounds behind a stiff jab and some movement around the stalking style of Duarte. Though both Mexican fighters connected, it was Madueno who opened up stronger.

Then came the body shots.

“I knew he was going to move around when he felt my punches,” said Duarte.

The muscular Duarte had built a career as an inside fighter specializing in body shots. In the third round the light brown haired Duarte finally targeted the body and immediately saw results. Madueno had to change tactics.

Duarte had lost to Ryan Garcia by knockout 14 months ago in Texas. But since that loss he became the first to defeat Jojo Diaz by knockout and then last November beat down Uzbekistan’s Botirzhon Akhmedov. He was scheduled to fight Regis Prograis but an injury to the former world champion forced Madueno to step in as a replacement.

No matter.

Duarte began revving up the steamroller from the third round on with a pounding assault to the body and head that would not allow Madueno to dig in. A left hook to the chin by Duarte wobbled the Sinaloa fighter who had fought many times under the Thompson Boxing flag. The now departed Ken Thompson must have been proud at Madueno’s valiant performance.

It just wasn’t enough.

Madueno had success bouncing overhand rights on Duarte’s head but it was not enough. He battled through brutal exchanges and kept battling but the muscle-bound Duarte could not be halted.

In the fifth round Madueno tried to return to the long jabs and though he had early success, Duarte unleashed a three-punch combination to stop the nonsense. They both battled in a corner and Madueno emerged with blood streaming down his left eye. The referee ruled the cut was due to a blow.

“I felt his punches and I knew he was coming down,” Duarte said.

Duarte sensed the kill and opened up the sixth round with a bludgeoning six-punch volley. Madueno countered with a clean left hook. It was not a good exchange and it looked bad for the Sinaloan.

In the seventh round, Duarte looked like a Rhino that had just sharpened his horn and charged forward with bloodlust. The Chihuahua Mexican seemed determined to end the fight and connected with a right that staggered Madueno. Duarte followed up quickly with 17 more big blows to the body and head. Referee Thomas Taylor stepped in with a veering Madueno against the ropes and stopped the fight at 2:09 of the seventh round.

Duarte became the first man ever to defeat Madueno by knockout.

Now holding a regional WBA title, he is poised to fight for a world title.

“I’ll fight any champion. Let’s do it right now,” Duarte said.

Other Bouts

Houston’s Darius Fulgham (14-0, 12 KOs) proved too much for Detroit’s Winfred Harris Jr. (22-3-2) in overwhelming the clinching fighter and forcing a stoppage in the fourth round of their super middleweight bout. Fulgham was in control in every round that included a knockdown in the third round. Referee Ray Corona saw enough and stopped the beating.

Light flyweight Ricardo Sandoval (26-2, 18 KOs) soundly defeated the speedy Saleto Henderson (10-2, 7 KOs) by unanimous decision after 10 rounds. Both fighters showed off great chins but the taller Sandoval out-punched Henderson. Two judges scored it 100-90 for Sandoval and a third judge had it 98-92.

Ricardo Sandoval

Ricardo Sandoval

An entertaining welterweight clash saw Chicago’s Kenneth Sims Jr. (22-2-1, 8 KOs) outpoint San Antonio’s Kendo Castaneda (21-8, 9 KOs) but in the latter part of the match both slugged it out. The fans were pleased by the action.  All three judges favored Sims 99-91 twice and 98-92, but Castaneda proved he was not overmatched.

Bakersfield’s Joel Iriarte (6-0, 6 KOs) had no problems against Darel Harris (19-24-2) who he stopped at 1:21 of the second round in a welterweight clash.

Photos credit: Al Applerose

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Arnold Barboza Edges Past Jack Catterall in Manchester

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In a battle between elite counter-punchers Southern California’s Arnold Barboza Jr. slightly out-worked Jack Catterall in England to win a razor-close split decision and become the interim WBO super lightweight titlist on Saturday.

“It was a chess match,” said Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing.

Barboza (32-0, 11 KOs) managed to overcome a hostile British crowd to defeat hometown favorite Catterall (30-2, 13 KOs) in a battle between defensive masters at the Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester.

It was a match made for boxing purists who love the art of feints and counter-punches that are a major part of orthodox fighter Barboza and the southpaw Catterall. It was a fight that harkened back to the battle between Sugar Ray Leonard and Wilfredo Benitez in 1979.

Feints and more feints.

Neither fighter looked to give up ground from the first round until the last. Each was cognizant of the other’s ability to counter-strike.

Catterall benefited early from the hometown crowd. With few blows fired and even fewer blows landing, the crowd’s roars for the local fighter might have registered with the judges. Though neither fighter connected more than a dozen punches in any round, the crowd was more pleased with “El Gato” Catterall’s efforts.

No round was clear-cut.

Barboza began to increase his tempo around the third round. Though the fighter from El Monte, California never loaded up on his punches, he was more ready to risk receive incoming blows from Catterall. And they did come.

Perhaps it was Barboza’s steadier use of the jab to the chest and head that made the difference. And when the Californian opened-up with combinations, Catterall was ready with jolting lefts. If not for Barboza’s chin he might have hit the deck from the blows.

In the seventh round Barboza found the target for repeated right hand leads. One after another connected. And when it looked like he might overrun the British fighter, things turned around as Catterall connected below the belt. When Barboza complained to the referee, Catterall delivered three head blows at the end of the round. The referee ruled the blow was low, but still, the follow-up blows did land.

It was anyone’s fight.

From the ninth round on Barboza took the lead as the aggressor while Catterall maintained his counter-punching mode. Though neither fighter could gain separation, Barboza was slightly busier and that may have proved the difference in the final four rounds.

Catterall connected with the heavier punches throughout the fight. But he just never opened-up with combinations and settled for counters. And though he connected often with single blows, combinations were rarely fired by the Manchester fighter. But he was always in the fight.

No knockdowns were scored and after 12 rounds one judge saw Catterall the winner 115-113, but two others gave Barboza the win by 115-113 to become the number one contender for the WBO super lightweight title.

“Since I was little I just wanted respect,” said Barboza. “I got my respect today.”

Catterall was gracious in defeat.

“It was a tricky fight,” Catterall said. “I thought I just did enough.”

Barboza said he does not care who he fights next.

“Anybody can get it,” he said.

Other Bouts

Super featherweight Reece “The Bomber” Bellotti (20-5,15 KOs) belted Michael Gomez Jr. throughout 10 rounds with body shots. Twice he floored Gomez with shots to the liver until the fight was stopped at the end of the ninth round by technical knockout.

In another super featherweight clash James Dickens (35-5, 14 KOs) repeatedly out-maneuvered Zelfa Barrett (31-3, 17 KOs) to win by unanimous decision after 10 rounds.

Welterweight Pat McCormack (7-0, 6 KOs) blasted out veteran Robbie Davies Jr. (24-6) with three knockdowns in six rounds. The fight was stopped at the end of the sixth round in a scheduled 10-round fight.

Photo credit: Mark Robinson / Matchroom

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