Rotherham’s light-middleweight prospect Junaid Bostan ended a six-month layoff with a third-round stoppage on short-notice to improve to 10-0 as a pro, while there were contrasting decision wins for James Flint and Pat McCormack on the Catterall-Prograis card, which finished earlier than expected after the evening’s co-main event was cancelled two hours before ringwalks.
Bellotti-Gomez cancelled due to late illness
Reece Bellotti’s proposed British and Commonwealth super-featherweight title defence against Michael Gomez Jr was cancelled less than two hours before they were set to make their ringwalks after the challenger was taken ill in the changing rooms and after a doctor inspection, ruled out of contention to box.
Naturally, the 33-year-old was incensed after a 12-week training camp as he looked for a sixth straight victory and second consecutive defence for British honours in 2024 but it wasn’t to be in rather dramatic fashion on fight night.
The news surfaced on Matchroom’s Twitter account before a formal announcement over the tannoy system much to the unhappiness of the thousand-plus supporters specifically buying tickets for the night’s co-main event alone.
Gomez Jr complained of stomach pains in his dressing room and after having urine samples tested as well as a medical assessment from doctors, was deemed unfit to compete as Matchroom chief Eddie Hearn was told the news backstage.
Reports later surfaced claiming Bellotti may now return against Queensberry’s Ryan Garner on Dec. 7 for the WBC International title, representing another step-up to reward his sparkling form since moving up from featherweight after three straight defeats – the last a R3 TKO by now-former world champion Raymond Ford.
That’s no consolation for how he’d have been feeling watching on helplessly tonight, as he told me during a whirlwind of emotions during the main card in Manchester.
Flint finds a way, once more
97-94, 96-94, 96-95: James Flint bt. Campbell Hatton via UD10 in rematch
20 rounds shared, courage and stubborn gumption on display between the pair but it was repeat for James Flint as the proud Yorkshireman inflicted a second consecutive defeat at Campbell Hatton’s expense.
Their first meeting seven months ago was for the Central Area light-welterweight title and while it’s since been vacated, the 27-year-old’s seasoning against tougher opposition allowed him to dictate matters against a son of boxing royalty.
Former two-weight world champion Ricky told Hearn his son did enough to win 96-94 in the dressing room post-fight, but despite boxing gamely in this shot at immediate redemption, the same porous defensive tendencies repeated themselves, leaving the Mancunian open to point-scoring shots he couldn’t counter.
Both were cut over the left eye, Flint’s body punching and faster combinations in the second-half paid dividends en route to another upset win that truthfully, many were long predicting this time. What’s next for Campbell, only he can answer.
McCormack gets rust off, but work to be done
100-90, 100-90, 100-90: Pat McCormack bt. Williams Andres Herrera via UD10, wins WBA Inter-Continental welterweight title
It wasn’t always pretty but Olympic silver medallist Pat McCormack laboured to a ten-round decision over 19-fight pro Williams Andres Herrera, ending a 15-month layoff with some much-needed rounds in the bank. The Sunderland man, 29, has gradually seen an increase in opposition quality since making his debut two-and-a-half years ago but would’ve wanted a stoppage to cap his return.
This was a stop-start affair where Pat showed flashes of promise but equally frustrated in sequences against an opponent repeatedly content to muddy this contest anyway possible – moaning about illegal shots around the midsection, walking forward and swinging wildly after growing increasingly comfortable with the stinging power piercing his defences. By the end, both were a bloodied mess.
It’ll be interesting to see how they matchmake now, knowing Matchroom have 20-0 pro Lewis Crocker and Conor Benn on separate pathways and the welterweight division is quietly heating up again domestically as this year’s events have shown.
Bostan ends his 2024 in style
- Hearn calls Junaid Bostan vs. Ishmael Davis one of the sport’s best fights, Bostan suggests Davis’ stock has dropped in defeat by Josh Kelly but it’s still a matchup with shared interest that needs building: “When we sparred, I said when we do fight… let’s get paid. I’ve got a few things I need to work on, starboy but by the end of next year, I’ll become the man.”
- British light-middleweight champion Sam Gilley, who blasted beyond Jack McGann on short-notice earlier this month, will still likely rematch Louis Greene next as UK’s 154lb division gradually hotting up
- Honesty is key! Davis on a future Bostan showdown: “I’m past an English title, we need to be headlining or a co-main on a big show for the British or something, you know what we’re about and we’ll see it down the line.”
Rotherham’s 22-year-old hotshot Junaid Bostan improved to 10-0 as a pro with his eighth stoppage win, needing just three rounds to skilfully dispatch of 14-fight Argentine pro Maico Sommariva on three weeks’ notice.
The light-middleweight prospect, previously ordered to box for English honours against Ishmael Davis, appears to be venturing down a different route after pledging 2025 will be his year among peers with an ever-changing divisional landscape.
Bostan knew fairly quickly that he needed to be careful of the counterpunching venom flowing back in his face, a mouse under his right eye early in the second stanza evidence of the clean work he’d already absorbed against an Argentine 11 years his senior that didn’t come to make up the numbers.
However, he’d only boxed once since September 2021 and lacked sharpness against a youngster who didn’t seem intent on banking rounds. Warned by referee Michael Alexander after some overzealous rough-housing saw him floor the 33-year-old in round two, that sequence typified what could’ve been a tricky night’s work. It wasn’t.
Measuring the distance well early in the third behind his jab and lead hand, you could sense him warming up and right on cue: a beautifully-disguised counter left body shot was enough to keep Sommariva writhing on the canvas in agony, unable to convincingly beat the count as the official had seen enough.
“It’s a good end to a frustrating year, move on to 2025. I don’t want to be disrespectful but it was easy work, three weeks notice and had to shift some weight – was supposed to fight at the end of November – delighted to have done what I did.
The opposition wasn’t the best but hindsight’s a beautiful thing and even though I hadn’t boxed since April, I’ve been working, went to America, valuable sparring and experience, which I’ve shown a bit of here.”
- Improving all the time: Bostan’s post-fight interview with DAZN
Davis, who produced an admirable account of himself at Wembley last month on short-notice in defeat over ten rounds against Josh Kelly, was ushered ringside and joined the post-fight reaction ringside as they planted seeds for an intriguing prospective encounter should both succeed in their respective pathways.
Undercard results
- Hearn on Crolla’s statement stoppage, declaring him one of the country’s most exciting prospects: “You can feel the energy inside him waiting to explode, he’s a serious puncher and good to watch. The difficulty is getting the rounds before he goes up to 8-10 round [fights], all he’s got to do is work as hard as he can and he’ll fill this place in no time.”
- Now-retired former world champion brother Anthony in post-fight interview: “I’m super pleased with him, told him not to go looking for it [the knockout] and didn’t expect this so early but his profile will only grow. He’s got quality sparring, just needs to keep improving and stay active.”
- Teenage bantamweight Emily Whitworth beat Sara Orszagi on her debut over four rounds, while featherweight Joe McGrail improved to now hold an 11-0 record after a 79-72 points win over Lewis Morris on Before the Bell
Liverpool’s middleweight hopeful Stephen Clarke improved to 5-0 after a 60-54 points nod over Mateusz Pawlowski in the night’s final prelim action, where a vocal section of his supporters ringside were baying for him to mix up more body attacks and apply pressure in cutting off the ring against an opponent who held his own but didn’t threaten enough to compel him into boxing at anything besides his own pace.
William Crolla improved to 6-0 with a fifth consecutive stoppage victory, this time blasting beyond 6-2 opponent Lorenzo Grasso in 44 seconds on his first outing as an official Matchroom signing after inking a long-term promotional deal in July.
Another of the rising light-middleweight pack, who made his pro debut and went the four-round distance with Joe Hardy on the Catterall-Foley undercard in May last year, hasn’t heard the final bell in the paid ranks since – racking up a series of fast finishes.
This was supposed to be a step-up in competition for the 26-year-old, though a perfectly-placed overhand right in centre ring set the wheels in motion for another early evening’s work as his punch power was clear for all to see, unloading an unanswered combo which saw referee Michael Alexander wave off the contest.
Picture source: Getty Images
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