1st August, 201515. Hull, England: Light: Luke Campbell (12-0) W TKO 10 Tommy Coyle (21-3). Super Welter: Brian Rose (27-3-1) W PTS 12 Carson Jones (37-11-3). Heavy: Dillan Whyte (15-0) W KO 1 Irineu Beato Costa Junior (17-5). Light Welter : Ricky Burns (38-5-1) W TKO 5 Prince Ofotsu (15-5). Super Bantam: Gamal Yafai (7-0) W PTS 6 Angel Lorente (6-9-1). Super Feather: Martin Joseph Ward (12-0-2) W PTS 10 Sergio Blanco (21-2-1). Super Bantam: Stuart Hall (17-4-2) W PTS 6 Edwin Tellez (9-19-5).
Luke Campbell vs. Tommy Coyle
Campbell wins this battle of hometown fighter with impressive stoppage of Coyle. Campbell established his jab early and outworked Coyle in the first round. In the second a wicked southpaw left to the body put Coyle down in obvious pain. Coyne’s courage is well known and he got up and tried to take the fight to Campbell in the third but was warned over careless use of his head. Campbell had height and reach and was able to use stiff jabs to keep Coyle out. The fight was one-sided in the fourth, fifth, when the referee warned both fighters for rough tactics. In the sixth Campbell banged home jabs and body punches with Coyle again showing his resilience. Coyle finally got into the fight briefly in the seventh as got through with a good body punch and then was able cut off the ring and score to head and body at close quarters. Campbell took over again in the eighth scoring with eye-catching combinations from a variety of angles and another body punch looked to have hurt Coyle at the end of the ninth. Campbell was looking to end it in the tenth and he put Coyle down with another left to the body. A series of punches put Coyle down for a second time and after he got up he was trapped in a corner and looked about to go down again when the referee stopped the fight. The brilliant former Olympic and European gold medallist wins the vacant WBC International title. For me the 27-year-old from Hull is the best young prospect in British boxing and a future world champion. No pressure then Luke! The 25-year-old Coyle has been in some tremendous fights. He was on his way to a win over Derry Mathews for the vacant CBC title when a crunching punch from Mathews ended the fight in the tenth. After that he won 6 fights in a row including a war with Daniel Brizuela which saw both fighters down four times and victory over Mike Katsidis inside two rounds. He may never be able to beat Campbell but at 25 and with his exciting style he will be in more great fights.
Brian Rose vs. Carson Jones
Rose gets revenge for controversial first round stoppage loss to Jones in February. It was assumed that Rose would box a cautious fight but he quickly got himself on the front foot and landed some stiff jabs and uppercuts in the first round. Things did not look so good for the British fighter in an all action second when an uppercut from Jones left him with a bad nose injury, possibly fractured, but he stuck to his game plan slotting home jab after jab at the advancing Jones. Rose was winning the rounds with his better boxing, built around his jab, his speed and higher work rate and there was little Jones could do to change things and despite the result of the first fight he just did not have the power to turn things around and was lucky that Rose is also a bit short in the power department. The fight was bad tempered in the latter stages with both getting warning for hitting after the bell. Jones had a good tenth but Rose banged back with a right in the eleventh and although Rose had built a winning lead he refused to play safe and stood toe-to-toe in the last with Jones to cap an excellent performance. Scores 119-111, 117-112 and 116-112. “The Lion” is back in the mix. The loss to Jones saw him drop out of the world ratings but there are good domestic fights for him as he rebuilds. Jones can give anyone trouble on his night but does not seem to do well in return matches having taken Kell Brook to a majority decision in 2012 but being halted in eight rounds in their return bout in 2013.
Dillian Whyte vs. Irineu Beato Costa Junior
Impressive kayo performance from Whyte. He was forcing Costa back with a stiff jab and trying a few rights. Costa was not letting his punches go and did not throw a single punch in the first half of the round. Suddenly Whyte stepped in with a left hook which landed high on Costa’s temple and sent him tumbling to the floor. He was up at six and when the fight restarted a right followed by a left hook put Costa down again and the fight was over. Now 12 wins by KO/TKO for the Jamaican-born Londoner including 11 in a row and all inside four rounds. With his win over Anthony Joshua in their early days as an amateur their proposed clash later this year will be a short and exciting one. Costa, 34, has lost 5 of his last 6 fights with 4 of those losses by KO/TKO.
Ricky Burns vs. Prince Ofotsu
Burns returns with a win but with a strange ending. The Scot was outboxing the strong but limited Ghanaian and had built a big lead by the end of the fourth round. However he had not really punished Ofotsu severely yet in the fifth whilst they were about to trade punches the towel came flying from Ofotsu’s corner. Ofotsu actually caught the towel himself and just gazed at his corner bewildered by the action. The referee was also surprised but accepted the signal of retirement reluctantly. The fight was made at 137lbs so it looks as though Burns, 32, is aiming to challenge again for another title at lightweight and right now that is a strong domestic division so there are some good fight there if he wants them.
Gamal Yafai vs. Angel Lorente
Yafai gets comfortable win over visiting Spaniard. The talented brother of Khalid was too quick and skilful for the willing but limited Spaniard and won every round. The Birmingham fighter had Lorente down late in the fifth but settled for a points win. Referee’s card 60-53. The 23-year-old was ABA champion a EU Cadets gold medallist and took a silver at the World Cadets so yet another young British talent to follow. Lorente, a former Spanish champion has lost 7 of his last 8 fights.
Martin Joseph Ward vs. Sergio Blanco
Ward retains his WBC International title with unanimous decision over veteran Spaniard Blanco. Ward’s smart boxing gave him the edge over Blanco for most of the fight but Blanco had some success when he managed to get inside and forced Ward out of his game plan but generally the silky skills of Ward ensured he had the fight well in hand and he ran out a comfortable winner. Scores 97-93 twice and 98-93. Ward, 24, had to adapt to a late change of opponent. Currently he is No 29 with the WBC and will be looking to move up to higher class opposition helped by the prestige that the International title has with that body. Blanco, who turned 40 on the day of this fight came in as a late sub. He drew and lost in two shots at the European title and after the second loss against Oleg Yefimovych in 2008 he was out for 22 months before returning to the ring last October and this is only his third fight since then
Suart Hall vs. Edwin Tellez
Hall came on this show at short notice to get in some rounds as he starts to rebuild in attempt to regain his IBF title. He had no trouble winning every round so got six rounds of work. Referee’s score 60-54. The 35-year-old former IBF bantam champion was having his first fight since losing to Randy Caballero for the vacant IBF title in October and is now hoping to challenge felloe Brit Jamie McDonnell for the secondary WBA title. Nicaraguan Tellez, 20 moves to 9 losses on a row.
