Boxing Results: Lennox Clarke UPSETS highly-touted Willy Hutchinson

By Boxing News - 03/29/2021 - Comments

Lennox Clarke, silenced his doubters with a stunning knockout against highly-touted Willy Hutchinson on Saturday night to claim the British and Commonwealth Super Middleweight Titles writes Noah Abrahams.

The 29 year-old ripped up the bookies odds as he out-muscled Hutchinson before sending the Scotsman to the canvass with a sensational three-punch combination in the fifth round.

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Hutchinson staggered to his feet but referee, Bob Williams, rightly waived off the contest with Scotland’s first ever world youth boxing gold medallist in no position to continue.

Ripping up the script at the Copper Box Arena, he told Queensberry Promotions:

“It’s what I’ve been training for, it’s what I’ve believed in and it’s come true. I’m over the moon.

“It’s all come good. I’ve come from the white collars and now I’m headlining on BT Sport. That’s a dream for any boxer coming through the ranks. I’m enjoying every moment now.”

After an even opener, Hutchinson optimised his reach advantage in the second as Clarke worked his way into the fight.

Dominic Ingle trained Hutchinson began the third with a cut on his left eye courtesy of a clash of heads late in the second and, by the end of that round and in to the fourth, the bout had shifted in Clarke’s favour as he closed the distance and attacked on the inside.

It was all over in the fifth when Hutchinson ate a big right hook that had him out on his feet before Clarke landed a second huge right and a left for good measure to fold Hutchinson.

“It wasn’t my best performance at all, far from it,” Clarke added. “I give myself five out of ten. I knew that when I clipped him, I’d hurt him. He’s never been clipped and tested like that.

“I was very scrappy in there. I chipped away at him and it came off.

“I suffocated him. I watched David Avanesyan versus Josh Kelly and even though David wasn’t having success at all times, he believed in the process and it came in good style with a dynamite left and right hook.

“I knew I had him when I had him. If he had recovered, then I would have slipped him off a couple of seconds after. He was gone. Credit to Willy Hutchinson because he’s a very good fighter who has good rhythm and pace. It was just too early for him. In five fights’ time he would have given me a different fight.

“That fight was 50% of me and the Lerrone Richards fight was 40% of me. That there against Willy was very scrappy. I’ve got a lot more to my game, I’m not just a bull. I get drawn in and I enjoy fighting.

“I can’t wait to go and wrap these belts around my little girl and show my family what I’ve been working for.

“I’ll get Frank [Warren] on the phone and we’ll go from there.”

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MARK CHAMBERLAIN EYES FUTURE WORLD TITLE AFTER BRUTAL WIN

THE LIGHTWEIGHT BANGER Mark Chamberlain believes he has now earned his stripes as a bonafide BT Sport attraction following his first round destruction of Jordan Ellison on Saturday.

Chamberlain, now 8-0, detonated a left hook to just below the ribs of the Sunderland-born 25-year-old and it quickly became clear that it was game over and the Pompey puncher had executed another speedy finish to his night’s work.

Ellison has been around and done the rounds in his 45-fight career to date, but never before has he been chopped down with less than 90 seconds on the clock and Chamberlain admits he did not see it coming.

“Nah, never in a million years!” confirmed the 22-year-old, who is trained by Wayne Batten. “I was thinking in my head that I would get a few rounds – at least five or six – but I timed it nice and caught him with a lovely body shot. It couldn’t have gone any better.

“I think I am the only one who has conquered him in the first! I had a look on Boxrec because I didn’t really know who he had boxed other than Sam (Noakes) had stopped him in five or six. I didn’t know he had been in with Zelfa Barrett and Lewis Ritson and they are heading to world level.

“It proves that I am on the same path as them,” he added, before pointing out that emulating fellow hot lightweight prospect Noakes was not part of his thinking beforehand.

“You know what, I got asked that about 10 times, with people saying I had to go out there and stop him before round five. To me it is not about that, I want to get in there and look good doing it, not go looking for the knockout. It just doesn’t work in your favour.

“Saturday night couldn’t have gone any better for me, it was perfect. For John Fury to sit there and praise me like he did, even a BT bloke asked him if he was feeling alright because he doesn’t normally do it.

“They were strong words from him saying he believed he had seen a future world champion. If he is a man of his word – and I think he is – I’d love to be a world champion and I will go for it.”

Chamberlain is prepared to bide his time, bearing in mind his age and relative lack of experience. He does, however, fancy a fight that plants a little fear in his belly during preparations. For now though, he prepared to abide by the maxim ‘Frank knows best’.

“I watched an interview with Frank Warren the other day and he is the boss. He obviously knows his stuff and he said I am only 22 and there is no rush, but hopefully next time out we get someone in the top 20 or close to for another eight rounder.

“Then we can maybe look for something for me because I don’t think I am far off. Whatever route they want to take me down I will grab with both hands. I know I’ve had eight fights and I’m only 22, but look at Louie Lynn on Saturday night, who boxed out of this world in fighting 10 rounds and winning a title.

“I want to be there as well. Everyone is commenting on my photos saying it is time for a strap, time for a title, so why not? There are some good fights to be made and lightweight is probably one of the hardest divisions out there if you look at the names in it from this level to world level. It is unbelievable.”

Promoter Warren made sure to issue some words of encouragement to the plasterer-by-day and boosted his spirits by stating an intention to return him to the ring in the near future.

“I got out of the ring and had a word with Frank. He said he wants to keep me active and will get me out in four or five weeks time. Here I am back running and back in the gym, waiting for that phone call and ready to go.

“Especially in this lockdown, I am so grateful to have been out the three times I have and on telly. For Frank to say personally he wants to keep me active is good to hear because normally you have a fight and have nothing to work towards until your next call.

“Without a doubt, I feel I have earned my spot now. They know what I am now and I am starting to get noticed a bit. Hopefully we can get the big fights and get going.”