By Ken Hissner: In a sold-out Nottingham Arena, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, UK, Saturday over DAZN Eddie Hearn (Matchroom Boxing) presented in the Main Event WBA World Featherweight Champion “Leigh-thal” Leigh Wood of the UK defended coming from behind to knockout 2-time Olympian and WBA No. 1 ranked “Irish” Michael Conlan of Belfast, Ireland, in the final round to retain his title.
In the Main Event WBA Featherweight champion “Leigh-thal” Leigh Wood, 26-2 (16), #125 ½, of Gedling, Nottinghamshire, UK, knocked out “Irish” Michael Conlan, 16-1 (8), #125 ½, of Belfast, Northern Ireland, at 1:25 of the 12th and final round to retain his title.
In the first round, after thirty seconds, Conlan turned southpaw and was doing well, landing the final punch of the round, a looping overhand left on the chin dropping Wood. Conlan rocked Wood halfway through the round in the second round with a left on the chin.
Wood continued to come forward, landing lead rights when a clash of heads caused a cut below the left eyebrow of Conlan. In the third round, a left on the nose from Conlan drew blood from Wood. It went back and forth who took the lead.
In the fourth round, Wood had his best round keeping Conlan against the ropes for the most part. In the fifth round, a clash of heads and Wood suffered a cut over the left eye halfway through the round.
Conlan had the better of the action with good bodywork. In the sixth round, Conlan’s bodywork continued to take a toll on the forthcoming Wood.
In the seventh round, the action picked up even more back and forth with Conlan’s left and Wood’s right’s. Conlan was thrown into the ropes by Wood. Wood seemed to be cutting the lead of Conlan. In the eighth round, Wood continued outworking Conlan. In the ninth round, Conlan’s right hooks were landing as Wood kept up the pressure pushing Conlan to the ropes with rights to the chin.
In the tenth round, at the halfway point, Conlan landed a left to the body, doubling Wood over. Suddenly Wood came right back, landing half a dozen unanswered punches taking the round. In the eleventh round’s final minute, Conlan was dropped with a left hook from Wood for an 8-count from Referee Steve Gray while Conlan’s corner claimed a slip.
In the twelfth and final round, Wood drove Conlan through the ropes and out of the ring with a flurry of punches ending the fight. Conlan was carried out on a stretcher. This writer had Conlan ahead by one point 104 to 103 going into the final round.
No. 10 WBA ranked Lightweight southpaw Gary “The Diva” Cully, 14-0 (8), #134 ¼, of Naas, IRE, knocked out former IBF Lightweight champ Miguel “Titere Puppet” Vazquez, 44-11 (17), #134, of Guadalajara, Jalisco, MEX, at 0:41 of the fifth round of a scheduled ten rounds.
In the first round, the taller (4”) Cully did well using his reach outworking Vazquez. In the final minute, a lead left from Cully on the chin stopped Vazquez in his tracks. In the second round, Cully countered Vazquez, who rushes in, missing most of his punches. Late in the round, Vazquez suffered a cut on the left eyelid from a glazing left cross from Cully. In the third round, Vazquez walked into a lead left from Cully on the chin, dropping Vazquez to a knee and up that fast for an 8-count from Referee Steve Gray with a little over a minute left in the round.
In the fourth round, Cully continued to dominate, buckling the knees of Vazquez with a left on the chin with half a minute remaining. In the fifth round, Cully landed a jab and a left on the chin, and down went Vazquez onto his right shoulder, taking the count of Referee Gray. It was the fourth appearance in the UK by Vazquez without a win.
Former WBC and IBO World Super Featherweight champion Terri Harper, 12-1-1 (6), #133 ¼, of Denaby, UK, dominated Argentina Lightweight champion Yamila Belen Abellaneda, 13-5-1 (3), #134 ¼, of Bueno Aires, Distrito Federal, Argentina, over ten rounds to win the vacant WBA Inter-Continental Female title.
In the first two rounds, Harper used an effective jab and left hook to the body of Abellaneda. Due to a clash of heads, Harper received a cut above the left eye and on her forehead in the third round. Harper dominated the round. From the fourth through the sixth, Harper continued out, landing Abellaneda. Harper came out southpaw in the seventh round, with Abellaneda going from orthodox to southpaw and back. Abellaneda ended the round with a solid left hook on the chin of Harper.
In the eighth round, Harper went back to orthodox and had a good round rocking Abellaneda with a lead right on the chin in the final minute of the round. In the ninth round, Harper returned to southpaw for most of the round. Her cut re-opened halfway through the round, which she dominated. In the tenth and final round, Harper continued dominating Abellaneda.
Scores were 99-91 by all three judges and this writer. The referee was Bob Williams. Abellaneda was 7-0-1 in her last eight fights before the loss.
WBA International Middleweight champion Caoimhin “Black Thunder” Agyarko, 11-0 (7), #159 ¼, of Belfast, Northern IRE, dominated southpaw Juan “El Terri” Carlos Rubio, 18-2 (9), #159 ¼, of Zapopan, Jalisco, MEX, over ten rounds.
In the first two rounds, Agyarko landed many lead rights to the chin of southpaw Rubio. In the third round, Rubio landed solid lead lefts to the chin of Agyarko in the first minute of the round. It kept Agyarko on the defense as Agyarko became the stalker. Agyarko again became the aggressor in the fourth round and did well until the final seconds when Rubio landed a solid left on the chin.
In the fifth round Agyarko still with the left arm to his side, kept throwing the right hands. Agyarko was tagged with a left from Rubio on the chin in the final minute but still took the round. In the sixth round, Agyarko’s best punch landed with a right on the gym of Rubio, who was backed into a corner in the final minute.
In the seventh round, Agyarko outworked Rubio. Both landed lead punches to the chin simultaneously in the final thirty seconds. In the eighth round’s last-minute, Agyarko hurt Rubio with a right on the chin, almost dropping him, causing the left eye to start closing and Rubio grabbing Agyarko into a clinch. Agyarko continued trying to end the fight for the remainder of the round.
In the ninth round, both fighters used lead punches. Agyarko, in the final half-minute, went into an unusual crouch to get inside Rubio with his right. In the tenth and final round’s first half, Agyarko’s attempt to end the fight was stopped with a right hook counter from Rubio, causing Agyarko to turn southpaw and start dancing around the ring for the remainder of the battle. Both showed good sport.
Scores are Gray and Pineda 100-90 Jankowiak 98-92 with this writer 99-91. The Referee was Michael Alexander.
Super Lightweight Sandy Ryan, 3-1 (2), #144 ½, of Derby, UK, lost by split decision to the former world 2-division champion Erica “La Panerta” Anabella Farias, 26-5 (10), #141, of Escobar, Bueno Aires, ARG, ten rounds.
Farias came rushing out on the attack in the first two rounds while the taller (5 ½ “) Ryan used an effective jab to keep her at bay. Farias, at times, was showboating with her arms to her side, walking away from Ryan. Farias had Ryan against the ropes in the third round with half her punches landing, and the rest blocked. In the last twenty seconds, Ryan landed a combination to the chin getting the attention of Farias.
In the fifth round, Referee Kevin Parker twice warned Farias for hitting on break and holding. It was a good round for Farias otherwise. Ryan went to the body with left hooks in the sixth round, keeping Farias on the defense. In the seventh round, Farias went to the body of Ryan with, at times, three-punch combinations. In the final seconds, Farias landed a left hook to the chin of Ryan.
In the eighth round, Farias drew blood from the nose of Ryan with an excellent two-handed attack. In the ninth round, Ryan outworked Farias in an all-action round. In the tenth and final round, Ryan landed with both hands to the head of Farias. Farias was deducted a point from Referee Parker for continuously using her head.
Scores were Alexander 97-93 Ryan, Gray 97-94 Farias, and Williams 95-94 Farias. This writer had it 96-93 Ryan.