There’s still life in the old boy, as Derek Chisora scored a ninth-round knockdown and edged beyond Joe Joyce in their 10-round headliner from a raucous O2 Arena. Moses Itauma produced another statement showing at heavyweight, after Dennis McCann closed his Ionut Baluta chapter and a new English welterweight champion was crowned elsewhere on a busy undercard.
Chisora outpoints Joyce in bruising battle
97-92, 96-94, 96-94: Derek Chisora bt. Joe Joyce via UD10
THE O2 ARENA, LONDON — Derek Chisora soaked up an electric atmosphere centred around him on his final O2 Arena appearance before building up an early lead with pressure, weathering the inevitable storm firing back before scoring a knockdown in the penultimate round en route to a hard-fought decision win over Joe Joyce.
Beloved as he is, many within his close circles are concerned about his long-term health having accumulated damage aplenty – especially in recent years. Perhaps after the Tyson Fury trilogy we didn’t need, or the Gerald Washington fight in this very arena eleven months prior, was a sign we didn’t need to see more of ole Del Boy.
Yet he has stuck to his guns in search of the 50-fight mark and against Joe Joyce, had a credible name – and former interim heavyweight champion – posing enough jeopardy to sell this domestic tussle. Again here, he insisted he’ll reach that target.
Oleksandr Usyk and Dillian Whyte were among those in attendance ringside for another duel no-one was calling for, and yet when Hotel California rang out, the North Greenwich crowd were on their feet singing as their warrior walked to the ring.
It was more chaotic than calculated, as expected, but Chisora proved a worthy winner and this defiant showing exemplifies why he wants to continue boxing on, even when logic suggests otherwise. Joyce on the other hand, well, perhaps we need to have that conversation with an Olympic silver medallist chasing one last high.
Joyce’s invincibility had been shattered by Zhilei Zhang over a two-fight series last year and while he laboured to finish Kash Ali last time out, it was evident Joyce still had life left in him. Chisora would look to chip away at that, walking forward onto shots and throwing haymakers as the crowd were baying for a big moment.
Pressed against the ropes in the final half-minute of round two, Chisora appeared to freeze Joyce in his boots as they traded. The look on the face of Usyk’s promoter and right-hand man Alex Krassyuk told the story of a typical British slobberknocker that surely wouldn’t go the distance. Yet it did, with a strange undertone lingering too.
Better head movement and returning to his jab was the cry from Chisora’s corner watching their stubborn charge try to power his way through, as Joyce had the final say in round three and landed a stinging shot backing him up into the ropes.
Chisora’s blitz attacks didn’t stop, but Joyce absorbed multiple big right hooks with his Juggernaut nickname apt in a round where he was caught uncomfortably often. Joyce’s jab worked well early in the fifth, though Chisora’s exhausting pressure soon returned as did haymakers with the 40-year-old again pressed up against the ropes.
A four-punch combo buzzed Joyce to finish the round, before the former WBO interim champion landed a clean shot after the bell and was lectured by the referee, who read the riot act to both corners before the start of a sizzling sixth.
Chisora briefly found himself having to evade danger, rolling and slipping shots in a compromising position before digging some bruising work in the pocket once more.
Into the second-half they went and Chisora rolling across the ropes was a dangerous tactic working given Joyce’s alarming inability to slip or evade the power punches – if Chisora missed, it was of his own doing. Yet in the eighth, Joyce had the fan favourite on unsteady legs as Del Boy‘s team urged him to clinch and attack the body.
Wobbling backwards and looking out on his feet for large periods of the ninth, he caught Joyce coming forward with a beautiful counter left to score a long overdue knockdown – as his family-and-friends ringside were giving him contrasting instructions to that of a corner urgency more activity. They didn’t want him to rest.
One would bark work, the other would say roll and hold. It made for a puzzling sequence as he scampered backwards towards his corner away from exchanging more heat, sandwiched between more defiant flurries, before the final bell.
Garner too slick for Sharp
98-92, 97-93, 97-93: Ryan Garner bt. Archie Sharp via UD10, retains WBC International super-featherweight title
In a tussle between two unbeaten super-featherweight hopefuls, Ryan Garner passed his latest test to stay perfect with a hard-fought decision victory over Archie Sharp.
The more experienced pro looked more unsettled and had a hurt ego to finish the first-round, as Garner stalked his prey and whipped power shots in quick succession.
He didn’t discriminate with his punch output either – lefts and rights – as Sharp needed a swift wake-up call and couldn’t afford to box off the back foot against someone constantly pressing him.
A better second round came from the 25-0 boxer, who composed himself as they exchanged shots – both had their fair share of success in this period, Sharp countering well and giving the Peacock gym something to shout about.
Box smart was the cry ringside for Sharp, who needed to maintain distance and move his head more – being lulled into a firefight wasn’t helping his chances of sustained success against someone all too happy trading with him in the pocket, as Garner’s work was both cleaner and visibly more impactful.
Into the second-half they went, Garner still following Sharp around the ring looking to nail him with one fight-altering shot as Sharp’s support team urged output and rather swiftly. “You’ve got to go to work,” was the cry but even a slip flooring the Southampton man wasn’t enough to prompt Sharp into more than single counters.
He landed a nice overhand right in the eighth to catch Garner coming forward, but there was more clinching than clean work in a scrappy stanza before Sharp had more to shout about in a busy ninth. Yet this spirited flurry came a few rounds too late, Garner had already built up a lead and wasn’t going to relinquish it by this stage.
Itauma ices Wach in two
- After reeling off another quick stoppage victory, what does this mean? “Just let the heavyweight division know I’m here. I’m only 19 but come on,” Itauma says in post-fight interview after improving to 10-0 as a pro
- His manager, Francis Warren, echoes that sentiment and wants to set up domestic showdown for British honours next. “The world’s his oyster, one step at a time but Frazer Clarke couldn’t do that – he’s more than ready to step up to British title level next, Justis Huni or Clarke, we’re coming!”
British teenage heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma successfully defended his WBO Inter-Continental title with a second-round TKO win (2:30) over former world title challenger Mariusz Wach to make another statement among the big boys.
Wach, who took Olympic bronze medallist Frazer Clarke the ten-round distance last summer, was dropped heavy in round two and despite beating the count, the writing was on the wall against a purposeful puncher that didn’t waste time.
Clarke might’ve been one-paced and content to bank rounds on a humid night at York Hall, but Itauma was the complete opposite and quickly went to work chopping down a tree with multiple world-ranked names on his exhaustive resume.
The referee Michael Alexander, waved it off shortly afterwards as the 44-year-old Pole didn’t fight back and instead absorbed a flurry of body punching as head shots wobbled him into submission rather helplessly against the ropes. Three fights in four months for the active teen, continuing to build confidence with each passing month.
McCann masterful in Baluta rematch
120-108, 117-111, 117-111: Dennis McCann bt. Ionut Baluta, wins vacant EBU European title
Dennis McCann told media he couldn’t sleep properly in the weeks following last year’s anticlimactic main event at York Hall against seasoned veteran Ionut Baluta.
Frank Warren insisted in the build-up to this rematch, eleven months later, the 23-year-old needed to look good and do the business before they could consider moving onto the next level with the British champion. Now, they confidently can.
Far more defensively polished than last time, he was measured and arguably unfortunate not to be credited with at least one knockdown en route to a career-best win over the 30-year-old – who holds wins over Andrew Cain, Brad Foster and Naoya Inoue’s upcoming undisputed world super-bantamweight title challenger TJ Doheny.
A faux knockdown was called less than a minute into the contest, Baluta insistent he’d just lost his footing after rushing forward straight into a counter. That frenzied start, coupled with some rather loud Romanian adlibs in the media section, made this feel like round ten had begun straight away without no feeling out period.
McCann’s measured approach matched Baluta’s suffocating pressure, tagging the body and feinting plenty as head movement was key to avoid being hit as often. McCann stung him with the best work in round two before Baluta nodded knowingly once the bell sounded, the pair trading counters and engaging up close in the third.
Baluta began the fourth fiercely, McCann bobbing and weaving to evade shots while countering with cute blink-and-you-miss-it punches as the chess match continued into the second-third of a contest that again looked destined for the distance.
They traded to start round five, Baluta’s body attacks worked in patches but McCann also punished his forward forays with slick jabs and sharper movement in response.
Baluta was floored a second time in the sixth, another slip ruled the ref before boos reverberated around the arena after a perceived dirty trick – the Romanian spitting out his mouthguard just as McCann began to hold his own and own centre ring.
Baluta’s feet were unsteady in the seventh and the pair engaged upclose for the final minute of another pulsating stanza as crowd noise surged anticipating a crescendo.
It could’ve come a round later, McCann smiling as he whipped hooks and could sense the seasoned veteran starting to get a tad desperate with his entries.
After another faux knockdown saw a brief reprieve in the ninth, McCann’s single shots were stinging with increased accuracy and Baluta’s wild swings wavered as did the once-raucous crowd support. The same happened in round ten and by the eleventh, Baluta needed something special to turn this bout in his favour.
McCann was guilty of standing in the pocket too long and left his head open, but responded with faster and more impactful work anyway – a luxury he could afford.
The final round threatened a defiant stoppage this fight had been flirting with, but just when McCann had Baluta hurt, the former European champion’s old man tricks saw him survive to hear the final bell.
Barney-Smith’s first pro title
Royston Barney-Smith improved to 11-0 with a UD8 win (79-73, 78-74, 78-74) over Colombia’s unbeaten hopeful Brian Barajas, picking up his first title in the paid ranks with a disciplined display.
This was also only the second time he was boxing someone with a positive win-loss record as he steps up the levels towards domestic contention at 130lbs, having made his professional debut in March 2022.
The 20-year-old southpaw, making his third appearance of 2024, began as he meant to go on with patient body work while flicking out power upon occasion as single shots stung the visitor – doing his utmost to upset the rhythm.
It didn’t work often enough though against someone nullifiying his rough-housing tactics – another valuable experience in the bank for RBS.
Noakes nudges beyond Bassi
97-94, 96-94 x 2: Sean Noakes bt. Inder Bassi, wins English welterweight title
When you’ve got audible crowd support for both in an evenly-matched domestic duel, it always adds something to the spectacle. The sight of Sam Noakes on his feet, barking instructions and throwing every punch with older brother Sean said it all.
This was scrappy in places, tense elsewhere and the pair both enjoyed encouraging spells but the Maidstone man’s action was the more noteworthy through five rounds.
Bassi appeared to buzz him with a sneaky uppercut near the ropes midway through said stanza, but didn’t pounce and allowed him to recover as the 27-year-old’s supporters implored him to work.
Noakes threw howitzers and while guilty of telegraphing his work at times, continued to land first and last during their exchanges as they traded in the pocket all too often.
Bassi was teetering on the brink of being stopped deep in round eight, absorbing uppercuts and more overhand rights as Noakes pinned him against the ropes.
The jab pierced through his defences with more spite in the ninth as those from the Peacock Gym pleaded with the Basildon resident to throw caution to the wind.
They knew, as much as most, he needed a final round for the ages and instead limped over the finish line after eating power shots and further gritty clinch work.
Almost a year removed from his infamous pro debut, Aadam Hamed kicked off the TV portion with a 40-36 points victory over four rounds vs. Bulgarian journeyman Georgi Velichkov at 140lbs. The oldest son of decorated father Prince ‘Naz’ Naseem, the 24-year-old flashed some decent punches but muddied his work in a lowkey affair.
Undercard results
Raven Chapman won a battle of unbeaten featherweight contenders in the evening’s final prelim, with a UD10 victory Warren thought could’ve been stopped over Yohana Sarabia to retain the WBC International strap – keeping herself on pace for a mooted world title showdown with Matchroom-backed WBC champion Skye Nicolson.
Highly-rated light-welterweight contender Brandun Lee was another who stayed perfect while earning some much-needed exposure across the pond, as the California native went eight rounds and banked a UD8 victory (78-74) on his Queensberry debut against unbeaten Colombian opponent Juan Anacona.
Elsewhere, there were decision wins for 10-0 featherweight talent Umar Khan and Chisora’s cousin Jermaine Dhliwayo banked a memorable pro debut at Engel Gomez’s expense, the 22-year-old on the board after two years’ amateur seasoning.
Picture source: Stephen Dunkley / Queensberry
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