Warrington TKOs Takoucht in 2 and a Look Back at Friday in Belfast

After a series of grueling fights, IBF world featherweight Josh Warrington was entitled to a softie and Sofiane Takoucht, a 33-year-old Frenchman with a misleading 35-3-1 record, was just what the doctor ordered. The undefeated Warrington, now 30-0 (7) lacks a hard punch, but don’t tell that to Takoucht who was overpowered in a bout stopped late in the second round. Takoucht was on his feet but had been knocked down twice before the referee decided he had seen enough.

Warrington, fighting in his hometown of Leeds where he is a big star, was making the third defense of the title he won from Lee Selby.

If the IBF has its way, Warrington’s next fight will come against Kid Galahad or Dominican southpaw Claudio Marrero. The IBF has designated Galahad-Marrero a title eliminator with a purse bid scheduled for Sept. 24.

Warrington defeated Galahad by split decision in Leeds on June 15 and has no interest in fighting the Yorkshireman again. The guess is that he will follow his dream and pursue a fight with a name fighter in the United States even if it means having to relinquish his IBF belt.

In the chief undercard bout, Zelfa Barrett (23-1, 13 KOs) successfully defended his Commonwealth (British Empire) 130-pound title with a ninth round stoppage of game but overmatched Jordan McCorry (18-7-1), a Scotsman who “earned” this assignment by defeating fighters with a combined 597 losses!

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The Warrington-Takoucht fight marked the second of back-to-back nights for ESPN+ cards in the U.K. On Friday evening, former WBO lightweight champion Terry Flanagan, now competing at 140, former two-time Olympic bronze medalist Paddy Barnes and newcomer Paddy Donovan were featured on a show in Belfast.

Flanagan, who won and lost the WBO belt in Manchester, advanced to 35-2 (15 KOs) with a victory by disqualification over Ghana’s Michael Ansah (17-10-2). Ansah had a point deducted for hitting on the break in round three, and was given the heave-ho in the ensuing round after committing the infraction twice more.

Paddy Barnes, one of the most admired sportsmen in Belfast, is likely done as a pro after losing to Jay Harris who stopped him in the fourth round with a body shot. Harris, a Welshman, improved to 17-0 (9 KOs).

Nicknamed the Leprechaun, Barnes had only five pro fights under his belt when he was rushed into a world title fight with WBO flyweight champion Cristofer Rosales. That proved to be ill-advised and a subsequent loss on points to unheralded Oscar Mojica at Madison Square Garden had Barnes talking about retirement.

He just wasn’t able to transfer his amateur success into the pro game and will leave the pro ranks with a 6-3 mark if indeed he is finished.

The highly-touted Donovan made a sensational pro debut with a smashing one-punch knockout of Mexico’s Arturo Lopez (5-14-3) in a welterweight contest. The 20-year-old Limerick southpaw, reportedly 161-5 as an amateur, is managed and trained by former world middleweight title-holder Andy Lee and promoted by Top Rank. Donovan needed only 76 seconds to dismiss Lopez who lay on the canvas for several minutes before he was stretchered out of the ring.

Donovan (pictured above) and Terry Flanagan are both expected to return to the ring next month, Donovan in Glasgow and Flanagan in Liverpool. Their opponents have yet to be determined.

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