With the WBO International Middleweight title on the line, Denzel Bentley (19-3-1) made his comeback-return in the historic York Hall, where he would decimate middleweight hopeful Danny Dignum (16-2-1) in the second round.
With so much at stake for Bentley, given his recent upset loss to Stoke-on-Trent’s Nathan Heaney (18-0-1), it was inevitable that he would bring his heart and soul into the miniscule venue.
After a tentative but methodical first round, Bentley had seen enough from Dignum – and eaten a firm left hand from the southpaw in the process – to know his opponent. The second round was an ignition, with Bentley certain of his victory against the Essex fighter.
A straight right to the body by Bentley would explode upon Dignum’s skin, sending him hurtling onto the canvas. Mustering just enough to get back onto his feet, Dignum would immediately be met with volatile hooks that had him meeting the floor once more. One last right cross by Bentley would fold Dignum awkwardly, ending the fight in devastating fashion.
With the WBO International Middleweight title, Bentley has returned to wider middleweight contention – although his sights seem firmly set on avenging his loss to Nathan Heaney.
Quite frankly, Heaney has his own score to settle, with another Essex resident; Brad Pauls (18-1-1). This belt should signify to Bentley the opportunity to reach the apex of the division again, rather than remain at the level of domestic dust-ups.
More titles were up for grabs, such as the EBU Silver Featherweight belt, which was taken from the Italian operator Francesco Grandelli (18-3-2) by ‘The Nightmare’, Scotsman Nathaniel Collins (15-0).
Grandelli showed great ambition and technical brilliance, with slippery feints peppered throughout. Collins, however, had a superior work-rate that didn’t appear to slow, even as his nose broke early in the third round.
In the mid-rounds, the fight became incendiary, with both fighters refusing to concede to one another. Rounds seven and eight were some of the most intensely action-packed of the year so far, with it starting to take a toll on Grandelli.
The fight, particularly in the final two rounds, was defined by the sheer amount of high quality hooks thrown from within the pocket; Collins slightly edging the victory due to work-rate alone.
In yet another close match-up, Southampton native Ryan Garner (15-0) collided with London’s Liam Dillion (13-2-1), figuratively and literally, for the WBC International Super Featherweight title in a brawl for the books.
Both fighters were fully invested, constantly pressing the action onto one another with vigour. Dillon came out as the more aggressive of the two, although the quality of the fight came largely from Garner, who kept Dillon at bay with precision over power.
It was also power in the fifth round that opened up a tremendous cut below the eye of Garner, despite his best efforts to evade the blows of Dillon. Continued hooks in the sixth would also cause a grizzly cut to open above the eye as well, spurting blood across the skin of the Sotonian.
Garner, with the use of a well-timed jab and superb upper-cut, was able to keep Dillon from applying further pressure to his mounting wounds, although the damage also seemed to spur on the hard-as-nails Dillon. Garner would close the fight with an impressive display to take the win and make the first defence of his belt successfully.
The rest of the card was populated with wins for the young prospects featured, including Ben Fail (6-0) and Archie Sharp (25-0), who won despite being rattled early.
Overall, in the historic home of British boxing, there was blood spilt and glory to be won from every corner of the ring.
