At the Matchroom Fight Camp, Brentwood, Essex, UK, Matchroom Boxing – Eddie Hearn Alexander Povetkin stopped Dillian Whyte headlined on Saturday, over DAZN. The co-feature is the Olympian Katie Taylor in a rematch defeated Delfine Persoon.
Co-feature WBO, WBA, IBF and WBC Lightweight champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Katie Taylor, 16-0 (6), #134 ¼, of Bray, Ireland, defeated Delfine Persoon, 44-3 (18), #132 ¼, of Roeselare, Belgium, over 10 rounds.
In the second round Persoon received a cut on right cheek and nose bled. Taylor slipped many of the busier Persoon’s punches countering them. After six rounds Taylor had large lump on forehead but ahead. Persoon never stopped punching but Taylor took final round in a close fight. Referee was Ian John Lewis.
Scores were 98-93 and 96-94 twice with this writer 97-93.
“I thought I did enough to win. She is so tough,” said Taylor. “I accept the loss this time. I couldn’t hurt her this time for she moved around me too much. I may have had my nose broke in the second. I may drop to super feather,” said Persoon.
In the Main Event Heavyweight interim WBC champ Dillian “Body Snatcher” Whyte, 27-2 (18), #252 ¼, of Jamaica, Brixton, London, UK, was knocked out by Olympic Gold Medalist, former WBA champ Alexander “Russian Vityaz” Povetkin, 36-2-1 (25), #224, of Chekhov, Russia, at 0:30 of the fifth round for interim WBC title.
In the fourth round a left hook on the chin from Whyte dropped Povetkin 30 seconds into the round and another left near the end of the round dropped Povetkin again. In the fifth round a jab followed by a left uppercut on the chin from Povetkin and down went Whyte for the count by referee Mark Lyson.
“I was confident the fight would end like this though getting knocked down twice in the fourth round. After watching his fights I knew a left uppercut would be effective. My future plan doesn’t depend on me but my promoter Eddie Hearn. I want to thank the older fans who believed in my (at 41),” said Povetkin. “It was a shock. Whyte had the fight in the bag. It was a thrilling knockout. There is a rematch clause before the end of the year,” said Eddie Hearn.
Super Middleweight Jack “Little Lever’s Meat Cleaver” Cullen, 18-2-1 (9), #164 ¼”, of Little Lever, Bolton, UK, and Zak Chelli, 7-1-1 (3), #164 1/2, of Fulham, London UK, majority draw over 10 rounds.
In the first three rounds both showed damage’s, Cullen with a bloody nose and Chelli with a bruise under his left eye. Cullen’s jab won two rounds. In the fourth round Chelli’s overhand rights highlighted the round with Cullen having a cut on left eyebrow.
The fifth through the eight had Cullen’s jab and Chelli’s power shots looking at an even fight. Chelli won the last two rounds and the edge overall. Referee was John Latham.
Scores were 97-93 Chelli, 96-95 Cullen and 95-95 with this writer 96-94 Chelli.
WBO Global Welterweight champ Luther “Luth Mtimkulu” Clay, 13-2 (5), #145 1/2, of RSA, Bracknell, UK, stopped by Chris “2Slick” Kongo, 12-0 (7), #145 ¼, of London, UK, at 2:44 of the 9th round of a 10 for Global title.
In the first round eight rounds Clay got inside while chasing the much taller Kongo who had little more than a jab. Well behind in the ninth Kongo landed a double left hook to the chin of Clay dropping him with the referee Victor Loughlin waving it off as towel came flying in.
Heavyweight Alan “The Savage” Babic, 4-0 (4), #205, of Zagreb, Croatia, destroyed Shawndell “The Bald Eagle” Winters, 13-4 (12), #194, of Harvey, IL, at 2:20 of the second round in a scheduled 8 rounds.
In the first round a left hook from Babic on the chin dropped Winters into ropes for an 8-count from referee Latham. A right followed by a left from Babic on the chin and down he went forcing the referee to stop it per the corner of Winters, former light heavy champ Montell Griffin.