SAKYI SHOCKS OZGUL
Siar loses his unbeaten record and Southern Area title
MIKEY SAKYI sensationally won the Southern Area super-lightweight title, halting Hackney’s previously unbeaten
Siar Ozgul in the 10th and last round at York Hall. The defending champion looked on his way to a points win, but fell apart dramatically when Sakyi (Romford) launched an attack in the last.
Ozgul staggered back into the ropes and Sakyi was on to him at once, working both hands. Ozgul finally got away and lurched into the adjacent ropes, but Sakyi raced after him, and a further attack to the head had Ozgul unsteady, prompting referee Jeff Hinds to stop it after 1-56.
It was gruelling, with both bleeding from the nose and Ozgul’s face looking lumpy. But Ozgul looked ahead. He made the better start, pinning Sakyi on the ropes in each of the first three sessions. Sakyi gradually got into the fight, countering as Ozgul came in. Both were picking their shots, and there were some fair exchanges, but Sakyi was generally being outworked. The ninth saw Ozgul attacking but Sakyi (ominously, as it turned out) catching him as he came in. Then, with little more than a minute left, Ozgul’s tank suddenly ran dry.
The scheduled main event on this MTK London show – Vijender Singh vs Lee Markham for the vacant Commonwealth super-middleweight title – had to be called off when Markham pulled out.
Larry Ekundayo (Stoke Newington) beat Edinburgh’s John Thain via unanimous 12-round verdict. Scores were 117-111 (Steve Gray), 116-112 (Serge Hendrice) and 115-113 (Lahcen Oumghar). Michael Alexander refereed. I thought it was fairly close after nine, but Ekundayo dominated the last three, and at the end the celebrating was all in Larry’s corner.
Ekundayo pressed forward while Thain looked to move and jab, making use of his longer reach. Thain bled from the nose and mouth but kept working, even coming forward behind the jab in the fifth. Ekundayo indulged in some showboating, but was back to business in the sixth, when a right had Thain holding on.
Thain kept trying to move and counter, but Ekundayo upped the pace from the 10th, and Thain couldn’t stay with him. Thain was pressured to the ropes and held on. The work was coming from Ekundayo, and Thain was doing little in reply.
All the remaining bouts were scheduled for four rounds. Danny Dignum (Bowers Gifford) halted Bulgaria’s Konstantin Alexandrov after 2-39 of the second. Southpaw Dignum was on top from the start, pressuring his much shorter opponent and landing to the body. Alexandrov was cut in the corner of the left eye in the first.
The second saw Dignum pressing and Alexandrov trying to be elusive, but the visitor was trapped in a neutral corner and took some stick. Forced against the ropes, Alexandrov was taking punishment without reply and referee Mark Bates called a halt.
Hamzah Sheeraz (Ilford) dropped Barcelona-based Nicaraguan Miguel Aguilar in the second, with a right to the head, and took a 40-35 verdict from Mr Bates.
Harley Benn (Hornchurch) pipped Slovenia’s Rudolf Zurica, whose last-round effort had Benn holding on. Mr Hinds tallied 39-38.
Romford’s Sammy Mcness dominated Bulgarian Petar Alexandrov, who was marked below the left eye. Referee Bates scored it 40-36.
Former Southern Area superfeatherweight champion Boy Jones Jnr (Chingford) took Mr Bates’ 40-36 decision over Barcelona-based Nicaraguan Johnson Tellez, who was cut by the right eye in the last. Lewisham’s Dan Azeez met with decent resistance from Adam Jones (Denaby Main), but edged referee Bates’ verdict by 39-38.
Southpaw Zuhayr Al Qahtani (Mitcham) outscored Braintree’s Dylan Draper, Mr Bates marking 40-36. Draper was cut high above the right eye and marked below the left.
Emran Hussain (Isle of Dogs) defeated Islington’s Jules Phillips, referee Gray’s 40-35 scoreline reflecting a final-round point deduction for repeated holding. Phillips was cut under the right eye.
Northampton’s Kieron Conway clearly beat Barcelona resident Geiboord Omier, landing at will in the last round. Referee Hinds scored 40-36, and the Nicaraguan bled from the nose and left ear.
Steve Mallon Jnr (Glasgow) took Mr Hinds’ 40-36 verdict over fellow debutant
Brandon Perrin (Birmingham), while
Mitchell Frearson (Essex) dominated Eastbourne’s Scott Hillman, referee Gray scoring 40-36.
THE VERDICT Yet again it’s proved that a fight’s never over until it’s over.