Rising British heavyweight David Adeleye banked more rounds, securing his second stoppage win in four months overnight and improved to 12-0 as a pro, after European title challenger Emir Ahmatovic was withdrawn at the end of R5 during another York Hall main event for the 26-year-old. The visiting corner saved their charge from what seemed like an inevitably destructive knockout.
Adeleye continues where he left off, on familiar ground
R5, 3:00 – Adeleye (c) bt. Ahmatovic via corner stoppage, retains WBO HW title
- Adeleye scores sixth consecutive stoppage win (12-0, 11 KOs) on second appearance of 2023, makes first European title defence four months after winning it with emphatic R2 finish vs. Dmytro Bezus in mid-February
- Frank Warren on Adeleye’s display: “I thought he did well, against an opponent who gave IBF world title mandatory challenger Filip Hrgovic a few problems [in 2021], it was a good gauge – was doing extremely well, I’m really pleased with him. We’ll see what opportunities are there to grab…”
- As both fighter and promoter reaffirmed desire to see him face British champion Fabio Wardley in the fight programme, 26-year-old does himself no disservice with another win on second headline card
After 15 minutes’ worth of in-house media, catching up with friends and family before obligatory post-fight medical checks, David Adeleye told me if he had a say in the matter, he’d be more than happy to fight again on Saturday night.
Having gone 15 of the allotted 30 minutes in his first European heavyweight title defence, it was a tongue-in-check comment made in jest but gave insight into what he described as a scrappy showing.
Emir Ahmatovic played his part in making it rough, overtly physical when he sensed danger and that made referee Marcus McDonnell’s job a busy one from the off.
Adeleye stung his visitor backwards with a sharp jab and followed it up by landing a series of slick counters up against the ropes in round one.
Prior, the Serbian caught him clean with an overhand right and complained of punching behind the head when the official barked break at the pair of them.
Aware of the power staring him in the face, the 28-year-old used his own jab as a rangefinder in R2, clinching while trying to set up a one-two combo of his own. A sloppy end to the round came, without much noteworthy action.
Ahmatovic made it messy in the third, as Adeleye wasn’t moving a lot laterally and instead setting his feet in the canvas, searching for a howitzer shot to create openings that would warrant a furious finish.
It almost came at the end of the round, Ahmatovic saved by the bell with his back pinned near the champion’s corner after absorbing one right uppercut too many.
In the fourth, Adeleye finished strong once more after another steady stanza.
Having made the challenger bite on a series of feints, bloodied his nose for good measure, Ahmatovic looked like a wounded animal as he swung wildly on the back foot and they exchanged heavy leather in the pocket.
The fight wouldn’t last much longer at this pace, and after witnessing more of the same punishment being inflicted by Ladbroke Grove’s own in the fifth, the bout was stopped between rounds.
An anti-climactic ending to a fight that was heating up, there was a resigned sense of agreement among those ringside at the decision. Saved from a splattering, as one insider put it, says all you need to know about the finish.
Post-fight I asked how David will look to better manage distance and move away from the ropes when fighting off the back foot, avoiding unnecessary risks as the opponent’s skill level increases. He said:
“I got to get used to doing it on the big stage, because I’ve shown I can do it in the gym and sparring but it’s another thing on the night.”
We left it there, after he again insisted that he’s feeling fresh and more than willing to step in as a ‘long shot’ should WBA Regular champion Daniel Dubois withdraw from the proposed Oleksandr Usyk world title fight on August 26.
That might provide a more accurate timeline for his return, early September or so.
Frank Warren speaks…
Having not caught up with Frank Warren for a few months now, I asked him about a series of fighters who’ve featured recently – since the last time we spoke – as well as looking ahead, with updates for a cluster of other boxers within his stable too.
After going the distance over six rounds for the first time as a pro in mid-April against Kostiantyn Dovbyshchenko, teenage heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma will make his return against an opponent TBC in Telford on July 29.
“I watched it on TV and thought he boxed really well with an injury, I’m looking forward to seeing him again – really exciting.”
As for older brother Karol, who returned with a decision win over eight rounds after suffering his first pro defeat by Ezequiel Maderna on the Beterbiev-Yarde uncard, when will he and Willy Hutchsinon return after their York Hall outings last month?
“We’re looking at that right now for both of them, late August or September.”
Other tidbits
- Warren confirms they’re lobbying for Ellis Zorro to get in the mix for British cruiserweight title, presumably an eliminator, after winning WBO European cruiserweight title with R7 TKO vs. Hosea Burton last month
- 17-0 middleweight talent Hamzah Sheeraz’s comeback will be in August or September, on a big show the promotion will announce imminently as they have fingers crossed internally that British middleweight champion Denzel Bentley gets the big fight he’s been publicly longing for
- “I think he’s at world level, still a young fellow learning all the time but shown he deserves to be up there after a sterling performance last time with a tragic ending, thankfully Lamati is out of the coma with family around him now,” Warren on featherweight contender Nick Ball (18-0, 11 KOs)
- Unbeaten super-bantamweight contender Dennis McCann tells me he’ll be headlining an August 18 show at York Hall while cruiserweight prospect Aloys Junior (left hand) injury, says he’ll be back in a few months
Rest of the card, featuring Chamberlain and Fletcher’s fast finishes
Portsmouth’s lightweight talent Mark Chamberlain did as promised, making the second defence of his IBF European title a quick one against Marvin Demollari.
It was a first-round blowout for the 24-year-old and looked eerily similar to stablemate Sam Noakes’ destructive display at Karthik Sathish Kumar’s expense in mid-April – leaving the Italian all at sea defensively after unloading fast hooks.
In the programme, the 13-0 southpaw said Frank Warren wants two or three more title defences from him before 2023 ends and then they’ll assess his options from there, with his promoter keen to navigate the pair on different routes to world level.
With more quick outings like this, it’ll be interesting to see how they match him up in future and progressively step up competition to ready him for those heights.
Taylor banks valuable rounds on York Hall debut
After four finishes from his first five fights, Nottingham’s Ezra Taylor improved to 6-0 with a valuable eight rounds against French veteran Khalid Graidia.
The 40-year-old went eight rounds against the aforementioned Karol Itauma last month, and after a five-fight unbeaten streak among home comforts, was again bested at York Hall by a rising talent who needed more experience under his belt.
There was an ominous look and feel early on as Taylor landed a sweeping left hand and marched forward with swagger, though Graidia wouldn’t be swayed backwards.
He absorbed the shots, holding his own in response as time wore on and it showed because of the success he had with furious flurries, catching Taylor clean as the 28-year-old looked to box off the back foot.
Taylor’s jab was good when he threw it, much like Adeleye in the main event, but rather than searching for power shots, needed to stay consistent with body attacks and move more laterally than the theatrical body language which hindered him.
He got countered for his troubles after coming forward early in R3, before rope-a-dope ellicited a big crowd cheer and they exchanged big shots up against the ropes shortly afterwards. Graidia was being hit, that much couldn’t be denied, but was also exploiting some of Taylor’s defensive vulnerabilities through four rounds.
A body-head combination stung Taylor early in the fifth, Graidia’s best, as the cumulative damage started showing itself during a fiery finish to round six – a cut appearing below the visitor’s left eye, nose starting to swell and still he persisted.
Graidia took advantage of Taylor’s refusal to move when backed up against the ropes, perhaps comfortable with the power coming back his way, but still not a comforting optic he can afford to adopt against more heavy-handed opposition.
Taylor finished the round strong and continued in that vein during the final seconds of the final round, Graidia’s trainer throwing every punch with his charge and bellowing orders too as they again connected clean during an entertaining contest.
If the name Pawel Strykowski rings a bell, then you might remember he was an opponent for Aloys Junior’s long-awaited comeback at York Hall last November.
That night he was dropped three separate times en route to a R2 TKO defeat.
Budding cruiserweight contender Tommy Fletcher, a year older than Junior at 21, improved to 5-0 with a well-executed body shot TKO win at the Pole’s expense here:
After being frustrated by a short-notice opponent clearly in survival mode last time out, the Norfolk Nightmare picked his punches carefully and was allowed the scope to show off shrewd improvements made under trainer Mark Tibbs.
He’s still a few fights from title level and shows awareness of the situation when asked about planning ahead, but with future rival Junior and Ellis Zorro among those in the Queensberry stable, it’ll be interesting to see how he goes through the gears.
Teenage super-featherweight Royston Barney-Smith scored a R1 knockdown en route to a credible points win in his first six-round contest vs. durable opposition.
Mexican adversary Christian Lopez Flores, who boasted 12 years and 180 rounds’ worth of more pro experience on the 19-year-old, ate most of his best punches.
Royston produced decent output in spurts during R2 while evading some wild haymakers too, before a lull descended over the third as the youngster’s friends and family in the crowd were getting edgy willing him to find another fast knockout.
He repeatedly tagged the 31-year-old with his left hand in the fourth, wobbled him backwards a few times in the fifth while dealing well with clinching and some rough-housing upclose, as promising flashes were key en route to an invaluable experience.
Meanwhile in the light-middleweight division, Northampton-based prospect Carl Fail improved to 9-0 with a third-round stoppage against 12-fight pro Frank Madsen.
Fail did well targeting the body early on, but was increasingly dangerous when throwing combinations as Madsen took advantage of his tendency to stand in the pocket too long, rather than hit and exit sharply through three minutes.
There was also a cagey finish to a back-and-forth round in the second, Fail letting his hands go more often as Madsen briefly appeared hurt near the ropes but fired back with stern resistance of his own and clean punches in bunches.
Early in the third though, you could sense a finish was coming. Fail dropped him with a clubbing right hand, Madsen beat the referee’s count and unloaded one final flurry before a punch combo against the ropes floored him once again in no time.
This time around, there was no fight left in the 34-year-old as Fail secured his first finish since October 2021 after twin brother Ben’s triumphant stoppage hours earlier.
Other undercard results
Henry Turner bt. Tom Farrell for WBC International silver light-welterweight title via TKO (corner retirement before R6)
Light-middleweight: Ben Fail bt. Bartosz Glowacki via R1 TKO
Light-middle: Joshua Frankham bt. Eligio Palacios on points (60-53)
Pictures via Queensberry Promotions, all quotes accrued by me unless stated otherwise
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