Donnelly makes an impressive stateside debut
STEVEN Donnelly will be hoping for a chance to make it five wins in quick succession after his latest victory in Madison Square Garden’s Felt Forum on Saturday night.
Ballymena welterweight Donnelly said he wanted to make an impression on his American debut as a professional on the undercard of Danny Jacobs who lifted the IBF middleweight title with a points win over Sergiy Derevyanchenko.
Donnelly, wearing Stars and Stripes shorts, was too slick and powerful for California’s Ray Cervera who was on the canvas three times in the opening two rounds.
Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Donnelly, who made his debut on the supporting bill to Carl Frampton in August at Windsor Park, continued to dominate his opponent, switching well from body to head on his way to a unanimous decision — 40-33 on all three cards.
The 29-year-old, having had four wins inside two months, can expect to be out again before the end of the year.
Also on the New York show was Donnelly’s former Irish international team-mate David Oliver Joyce who had to rise from the canvas to notch a ninth consecutive victory.
Featherweight Joyce, from Mullingar, floored Mexican journeyman Jorge Rojas Zacazontetl in the opening round but was then dropped in the second of an entertaining six rounder.
The Mexican had the better of some exchanges but Joyce deserved the unanimous decision.
Hughie Fury’s hopes of a shot at World heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua were severely dented when he lost on points to Bulgarian Kubrat Puleve in an IBF final eliminator on Saturday night.
The 24-year-old cousin of former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, sustained a badly cut left eye in the second round but still managed to hurt Pulev and only for a lack of composure could have forced a stoppage in the early stages.
But Pulev, who will now be hoping for a shot at Joshua in 2019, controlled the second half of the fight and picked up a unanimous decision.