Unbeaten light-welterweight Dalton Smith (16-0, 12 KOs) scored a fifth-round knockout over second-tier veteran Jose Zepeda (37-5, 28 KOs) to capture the vacant WBC Silver title on Saturday night at the Sheffield Arena in Sheffield, England.
The 27-year-old Smith gave away the first four rounds but landed a perfect right to the body of the 34-year-old Zepeda to drop him in the fifth. The referee then counted out Zepeda. The stoppage was at 1:25 of the fifth. Zepeda’s loss was his third in his last four fights.
It’s anyone’s guess how the fight would have played out if not for Smith landing that shot, as the southpaw Zepeda was easily controlling the fight up until then.
“Adam Azim, where are you at?” said Smith after the fight.
Promoter Eddie Hearn has ideas of Smith fighting for the WBC light welterweight title next, so it remains to be seen which direction he goes.
WBO welterweight female champion Sandy Ryan (7-1-1, 3 KOs) defeated Terri Harper (14-2-2, 6 KOs) by a fourth-round stoppage. The contest was halted after the fourth round. In rounds three and four, Ryan, 30, battered Harper with nonstop shots.
“It was a dominant performance. She is the best welterweight in the world,” said promoter Eddie Hearn about Sandy Ryan. “That was a special performance from the #1 in the division.”
Junior middleweight Ishmael Davis (13-0, 6 KOs) outworked Troy Williamson (20-3-1, 14 KOs), winning a ten-round unanimous decision. The scores were 116-112, 117-111, and 116-112.
James Flint (14-1-2, 3 KOs) defeated previously unbeaten Campbell Hatton (14-1, 5 KOs) by a ten round unanimous decision in a thrilling action-packed contest to at light welterweight. The scores were 98-92, 97-94 and 97-95. Boxing News 24 had Flint winning 8-2. With the win, Flint holds onto his BBBofC Central Area 140-lb title.
Flint bad Hatton hurt in the eighth and tenth rounds, but somehow Campbell made it through the rounds without being stopped by holding. Campbell was at his best in rounds one and five, crowding Flint and mugging him on the inside.
“It was a brilliant fight. I thought Jimmy won by a couple of rounds,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “I just need to look inside the mirror, ‘I wasn’t good enough.’ I’d love to make a rematch. This card from top to bottom is brilliant fights.”
