There were upsets, knockouts and a pro debut on the undercard of the heavyweight rematch between Dillian Whyte 27-2 (18) and Alexander Povetkin 36-2-1 (25) at the Europa Point Sports Complex in Gibraltar on Saturday night.
Junior middleweight Ted ‘The Big Cheese’ Cheeseman 17-2-1 (10) claimed the vacant British title with an 11th round knockout of James ‘Kid Shamrock’ Metcalf 21-1 (13) in an all-out war.
The 25-year-old Londoner, who was coming off a unanimous decision win over Sam Eddington in Brentwood, Essex in August, started well and almost had Metcalf gone in the fourth round, but the 32-year-old from Liverpool rallied in the middle rounds to work his way back into the fight.
There was great two-way action as the fight progressed with both of the aggressive fighters seeming to have the ascendency at different stages of the bout.
Cheeseman got the breakthrough just before the bell sounded to end the penultimate round, dropping Metcalf heavily with a crisp left hand. Metcalf was unable to beat the count.
“That is the best I have boxed as a pro and all I keep doing is getting better and better,” Cheeseman said.
“I’m still only a young man, I’m 25, but I showed my man strength there. I boxed there, I fought there, I toughed it out, I bullied him.
“I beat Kieron Conway, I beat Scott Fitzgerald, I beat Sam Eggington and now I just beat Jamie Metcalf. I am number one on the British scene.”
Heavyweight Fabio Wardley 11-0 (10) recovered from a sluggish start to stop veteran Eric ‘Drummer Boy’ Molina 27-7 (19) in the fifth round of their scheduled 10-round clash.
The ending came in dramatic fashion when Texan Molina, 38, caught Wardley with a right hand that hurt the 26-year-old Ipswich prospect. But to his credit, Wardley jumped straight back into the fray to land a right hand and a short left hook that sent Molina to the canvas. The end came at the 0:52 mark.
Wardley admitted he still had things to work on.
“If you want to go toe-to-toe, that’s what happens to you,” Wardley said. “I’m by no means the finished article, I’ve got a lot to learn.”
Welterweight Michael ‘The Problem’ McKinson 20-0 (2) sprang the upset on Chris ‘2Slick’ Kongo 12-1 (7) to win a competitive 10-round decision by scores of 97-93, 96-94 and 95-94.
The 26-year-old Portsmouth southpaw used his awkward style and aggressive attacks to bewilder Kongo, who found himself on the canvas from a cuffing left hand in the opening frame.
Londoner Kongo, 28, fought his way back in the middle rounds and had some success with the right hand in the sixth and seventh. McKinson finished the strong of the two to run away with the victory.
“I’ve been waiting a long time for this,” McKinson said. “This is my 20th fight and I am finally on the big stage.
“There were a lot of close rounds where he was just touching my gloves and he could have nicked the rounds. We had to change it up towards the end.
“Chris is a very dangerous fighter and I had to stay switched on the whole time. But I am experienced. This is my seventh year as a professional, I’m final where I want to be and I want to stay here.”
Lightweight Campbell Hatton 1-0 made a successful pro debut by easily outpointing Jesus Ruiz 0-11 over four rounds to win 40-36 on the card of scoring referee Victor Loughlin.
There was plenty of pressure on the 20-year-old son of Ricky Hatton to perform but he didn’t let it show as he methodically went about breaking down his opponent, showing off the trademark body shots that made his father famous.
Hatton had Ruiz bleeding from the nose in the second round and was on the verge of a stoppage when the final bell rang.
Heavyweight Nick Webb 17-2 (13) knocked out two-time world amateur bronze medallist Eric Pfeifer 7-1 (5) in the second round of their 10-round contest.
Webb, 33, jumped on Pfeifer from the opening bell and kept up his relentless assault in the second round, dropping the 34-year-old German with a left hook and then again with a short right hand. Another right hand sent him down for the third time in the round and referee Ian John Lewis waved off the contest at the 1:51 mark.
“I feel on top of the world,” said Webb of Chertsey in Surrey. “Tonight, before we went in, we had a talk – start fast, get him out of there, we don’t get paid for overtime.
“Everyone doubts me, but I have come here and made a statement. So, don’t doubt me no more. I want more belts, more titles, get me out. I always believed in myself and my team believed in me too.”
In the opening super featherweight Youssef Khoumari 12-0-1 (5) stopped Kane Baker 14-8 in the fifth round of their scheduled 10-round bout.
The 24-year-old Londoner simply had too much speed and variety in his arsenal for Baker, who kept up the pressure but was outmanoeuvred.
Khoumari buckled Baker’s knees with a right hand in the fifth before forcing him to the ropes and unloading, leaving referee John Latham with little choice but to call the fight at 2:25.
