By Barry Holbrook: Kid Galahad (28-1, 17 KOs) wore down Jazza Dickens (30-4, 11 KOs) and stopped him at the end of the 11th round to capture the vacant IBF featherweight title on Saturday night at the Matchroom HQ in Brentwood, Essex.
(Photo credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)
Referee Michael Alexander pulled the plug in the fight at the end of the 11th when it was clear that the badly beaten Dickens had nothing left in the tank.
Dickens’ face was badly swollen with both eyes almost closed and a cut over his left eye from the first round.
Galahad threw 1076 shots, landing 276 of them. It was brutal to watch how many punches Galahad threw in the fight, which Dickens had no answer for.
There was no way that Dickens could match Galahad’s high work rate. You can argue that the fight should have been halted by the eighth round because it was a one-sided beating Jazza took from Galahad.
“Jazza Dickens will be a champion without a doubt,” said Galahad said. “You saw what tunnel vision I had. Look what I did tonight. 18 months, I went in and smashed him from pillar to post.”
It’ll be interesting to see Galahad take on WBC 126-lb champion Gary Russell or WBA ‘regular’ champion Leigh Wood. Those guys would be tough outs for Galahad, but if he fights the way he did tonight, he can win.
Undercard results:
- English heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley (12-0, 11 KOs) destroyed Nick Webb (17-3, 13 KOs) by a brutal first round knockout. The heavy-handed Wardley unloaded on the normally serviceable Webb from the opening bell, dropping him to score a quick stoppage. The referee halted the fight at 2:30 of the round.
- In other heavyweight action, Alen “The Savage” Babic (8-0, 8 KOs) beat Mark Bennett (7-2, 1 KO) by a fifth round knockout. Babic teed off on the heavyset Bennett, treating him like an oversized punching bag for the entire one-sided fight. In the fifth, the contest was finally halted. Babic needs to step it up a couple of levels to at least domestic level opposition instead of what we’ve been seeing from him.
- Heavyweight prospect Johnny Fisher (3-0, 3 KOs) destroyed Danny Whitaker (4-4, 0 KOs) by second round knockout. Fisher treated Whitaker like a yo-yo, dropping him several times before the contest was halted. The time of the stoppage was at 1:30 of round two.
- In easily the best fight on the undercard tonight, female bantamweight Ebanie Bridges (6-1, 3 KOs) stopped Bec Connolly (3-10, 0 KOs) in a third round knockout. The laser-like Ebanie dropped the heavyset Connolly in the third. The contest was halted seconds later. The referee officially halted the contest at 1:22 of round three.
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