Bragging Rights
Review
Bragging Rights has definitely put boxing in Birmingham firmly on the map, with Midlands, English and WBC international belts on the line and a lot of the show being live on Sky sports Bragging Rights Show cased boxing in Birmingham.
The Birmingham boxing column were there and watched all of the 13 bouts of boxing as how can you give a honest review it if you weren't there!
Late fights
After live show
Lennox Clarke v Adam Jones
6 x 3 min
Super Middleweight
Clarke boxed well against a tough opponent in Jones who seem to come to win. Jones had little moments in the fight but Clarke controlled the fight and I thought won all 4 rounds.
Dexter verdict
40 – 36
Refs verdict
40 – 37
Clarke wins
Jordan Cooke v Andy Keates
10 x 3 mins
Midlands area Super Lightweight title
Keates showed he was the champ in this Midlands area title, he won 5 out of the first 6 rounds and drew one of them on my card. Cooke fought valiantly but just could not match Keates, in the 8th round Jordon got some joy when Keates went over and it was classed as a knockdown. In the 9th Cooke had a point taken off for a low blow and lost the round 10 – 8. Both fighters went for it in the last round and it ended even.
Dexter's verdict
93 – 98
Refs verdict
93 – 96
Keates retains title
Marcus Ffrench v Robbie Barrett
10 x 3 min
English lightweight title
Barrett boxed a slick and clever fight boxing from range and using the ring well. It seemed to be a frustrating night for Ffrench as he chased Barrett around the ring to land his shots. Ffrench did have some joy in the later rounds but that allusive knockout punch never came.
Dexter's verdict
93 – 99
Barrett wins title
Undercard Before Live Show
Corri Gibbs v Michael Mooney
4 x 3
Super Lightweight
Both boxers were busy in the first round Gibbs edged the round with the better ring work. Gibbs caught Mooney with some good shot in the second but slowed in the third round but still controlled the round. In the 4th Mooney stepped it up but Gibbs controlled the round even with all of Mooney’s showboating.
Dexter's verdict
40 – 36
Refs verdict
40 – 36
Gibbs wins
Brian Rose v Stiliyan Kostov
8 x 3
Super welterweight
The first 3 rounds of this fight were very even with Rose just edging 2 of them on ring work. Rounds 4,5 and 6 saw Rose control the ring and use his jab well and let off some nice 1, 2’s winning all 3 rounds on my card.
In the 7th Rose left hand was in Kostov’s face all the way threw this round and started banging in hard shots in the final round but Kostov stood firm and saw out the round.
Dexter's verdict
80 – 72
Refs verdict
79 – 73
Rose wins pionts
Joe Sheriff v Tzveozar Iliev
6 x 3
Super middleweight
Sheriff started strong and controlled the fight banging in some good hard shots in the first and second rounds winning both of them, in the third he used Iliev as a punch bag and did what every he liked to his Bulgarian opponent. In the forth Iliev was put out of his misery by some cracking shot from Sheriff who caught him with a nice right hand putting him down. The ref counted but then stopped the fight 2 minutes and 44 seconds into the forth round.
Verdict
Sheriff wins by stoppage in 4th
Don Broadhurst v Louis Norman
10 x 3
English Super Flyweight title
This was a very even fight with both boxers showing there skills for the 6 round as it went back and forth with not much to split them, at the end of the 6th I had Don 1 round up. In the 7th and 8th rounds Don took over and got some great shots off while Norman seemed to fade, highlight of the round was Broadhurst’s 3 left hooks in a row. In the 9th both fighters looked tired but both battled hard, in the final round Norman went for it and caught Don with some good shots. Broadhurst stayed composed and saw the round out.
Dexter’s verdict
99 – 97
Judges verdict
94 – 94
96 – 95
96 – 95
Broadhurst wins English title
Sam Bowen v Reynaldo Mora
6 x 3
Super featherweight
Bowen took control from the start, banging in shots with both lefts and rights. Mora showed true grit by staying on his feet and took some hard body shots. In the second round Bowen came out looking for a knockout and got it with a cracking body shot that stopped Mora in his tracks in 1 minute and 36 seconds of the second round.
Verdict
Bowen wins by stoppage
Live show
Sean Davis v Paul Economides
10 x 3
WBC international super bantamweight title
This was a fire cracker of a start to the live show both boxers came out quick but Davis had the edge for the first 3 rounds with some good body shots and movement. Davis also sustained a cut on the top of his head.
Economides sustained a cut above his left eye from a shot from Davis. Economides up his game in the next 4 rounds winning 3 out of the 4 and drawing 1 of them on my score card. Davis’s corner must have told him to up his game as he came out and used his boxing skills well, slipping shots and dancing around while Economides chased, Davis caught him with some real good shots. In the 10th both boxers came out strong, but Davis got on his toes, slipped and moved well around the ring, both fighter caught each other with good shots but Davis won this round.
Sean Davis v Paul Economides
Dexter's verdict
97 – 95
Judges
96 – 94
96 – 94
96 – 94
Result
Davis wins unanimous
Kal Yafai v Johnson Tellez
8 x 3
Super flyweight
Yafai cruised threw the first 2 rounds hitting Tellez at will. Yafai finished it off 2 minutes and 48 seconds of round 3 with a good body shot with Tellez not making count.
Eddie Hearn made an announcement after the fight that Kal will be fighting on the 10th of December on the Antony Joshua show for a world title.
Result
Yafai wins stoppage
Dexter's Thoughts
What a great undercard with some great wins for local boxers, a massive congratulations to Corri Gibbs, Ryan Kelly, Lennox Clarke Don Broadhurst and Sean Davis for there wins. Commiseration’s to Jordan Cooke and Marcus Ffrench who may have not won but still showed there boxing skills off. May I say from the Birmingham boxing column you done Birmingham proud and have put Birmingham boxing back on the map.
Well Done.
Anthony Ogogo v Craig Cunningham
10 x 3
WBC International Middleweight title
When the bell went Cunningham came out strong Ogogo didn't really do much in this round and just seem to be feeling Cunningham out. In the second round Cunningham bullied the bigger man around the ring and had him wobbling all over the place, making Ogogo look like a Novice white collar fighter. Ogogo went down and was given a count by the ref and managed to get threw the round. The 3rd and the 4th round were even and it seemed that Cunningham had let Ogogo off the hook as Ogogo got his jab working and kept Cunningham at bay but both rounds were even. In the 5th Cunningham put it on Ogogo at the start of the round but Ogogo came back and put Cunningham into the corner which he slipped out of, it seemed Cunningham was having a rest in this round. The 6th round was the turning point, Cunningham slipped and slid his way threw the round and gave Ogogo a boxing lesson and rocked the former Olympian several times. In the 7th and 8th round school was in session, Cunningham gave Ogogo a education in the noble art, moving well and catching him with great shots. In 1 minute 27 seconds of the 8th round the ref stopped the fight seemingly due to a problem with Ogogo’s glove. The crowd booed as it seemed Ogogo was stalling but there boo’s turned into cheers as the ref waved off the fight and Cunningham was crowned the champ.
Anthony Ogogo v Craig Cunningham
Result
Cunningham wins International middleweight champion
Dexter’s Thoughts
I had to give Craig his own Dexter’s Thoughts because of what he achieved on this show. He was an underdog, a ranked outsider, the lamb to the slaughter but he has proved all the doubters wrong. Craig boxed a great fight and showed all of Ogogo’s short comings, Craig made a former Olympic medalist look like a rank novice and has cost Ogogo’s backers a hell of a lot of money.
I had talked to Craig at the final press conference and congratulated him on the birth of his baby and told him I thought he could do this. With an intense look on his face I could see his determination when he was talking to me and in my mind I knew he would win this. Boxers all over the country, no the world should watch this match and be inspired that with determination, hard work and a good game plan anything is possible.
Congratulations Craig New WBC International Middleweight Champion.
Frankie Gavin v Sam Eggington
12 x 3
WBC International Welterweight title
Both boxers just seemed to feel each other out, in the second Gavin countered well but Eggington caught Gavin with a lot of jabs and right hands and controlled the round. In the third round Gavin was put down by a short right by Eggington, Gavin got up and battled threw to the end of the round. The 4th and 5th rounds were Gavin’s he moved well around the ring and caught Eggington with good shots. Eddington did have some joy but it did look like the fight was slipping away from him.
The 6th round in this local derby is when it caught fire, Eggington smashed shots into Gavin and then Gavin came back with hard shots of his own. Eggington got Gavin on the ropes and went to work the ref stopped the fight and gave Gavin a standing 8 counted. Gavin fought back hard and got the better of Eggington but then Eggington came back with his own hard shots. This was a round that reminded me of Gatti,Wards 9th round.
The seventh round was another back and forth round with both fighter attempting to knock each other out, could not split them.
The war continued back and forth in the 8th, Sam pinned Gavin in the corner and doubled him up with body shots from both hands. Gavin tried to fight back but the ref jumped in as Gavin was going down.
Result
Eggington win 8th round stoppage.
WBC International Welterweight champion.
Dexter's Thoughts
What a fight it was definitely the fight of the night, what a great show by both boxers showing true grit and a will to win. Eggington showed Britain and the world what he is about and at 23 he has now got a bright future a head of him as winning the WBC title will get him ranked at world level. Eggington convinced me when I interviewed him and watched him train that he was going to win and he did not let anyone down. As for Frankie he showed he is still a great boxer but coming in to the fight overweight is a sign that his heart may not be in it. Hopefully Gavin can regroup sort out his weight issues and take this as a learning curve.
Eddie Hearn Talks about the show
Many Thanks to Matchroom for having the
Birmingham Boxing Column at there show