LONDON – Kieron Conway won the British middleweight title with a dominant display in victory over Wales’ Gerome Warburton.
The 29-year-old Conway and Warburton not only battled for the Lonsdale belt, but for the chance to face the winner of the contest between George Liddard and Aaron Sutton also at the Copper Box Arena later on Saturday evening. Conway, who rose to 23-3-1 (7 KOs) with his victory, had competed against much better opposition and looked levels above Warburton over the four round contest. The Welshman, although limited in ability, fought admirably but couldn’t match the much bigger Conway for talent or strength and fell to 15-2-2 (2 KOs).
Warburton, also 29, pushed the pace from the opening bell and Conway had to settle for conceding the opening round. Warburton was again aggressive in the second, but Conway blocked his efforts well and landed some spiteful shots that seemed to stun Warburton. Conway then started to take control in the third, and used his size to pin the retreating Warburton to the ropes.
Conway targeted Warburton’s body, and as the round went on Warburton started to take more and more damage. The end eventually came in the fourth round, when Conway again pinned him to the ropes and unleashed a powerful body attack. A left hand found Warburton’s ribs, and the Welshman went to take a knee but changed his mind at the last second. Conway, naturally, saw an opportunity to finish the job, and he whacked in another two body shots as Warburton was helplessly trying to cover up.
Moments later the towel came in from Warburton’s corner, and the Welshman was left in tears as his hopes of winning the famous Lonsdale belt were ended. The time of the stoppage was one minute and 26 seconds of round four.
The promising middleweight Jimmy Sains was taken the distance for the first time as a professional in his victory over Gideon Onyenani, 7-5. Sains, 10-0 (9 KOs), had breezed through his previous opposition as a pro, but be struggled to tie down the awkward Onyenani, and was taken the full 10 rounds. Sains regardless cruised to victory, and he was awarded victory via a score of 98-92.
Before then John Hedges earned the first professional title of his career after a unanimous decision win over Nathan Quarless. Hedges, 11-0 (3KOs), looks as though he is filling into his tall frame and dominated Quarless, 13-2, over 10 rounds. Hedges also therefore won the English cruiserweight title, after being awarded scores of 99-92, 98-92 and 97-93.
The exciting Taylor Bevan produced yet another dominant display to beat Juan Cruz Cacheiro, 7-5-0 (3 KOs). The 24-year-old super middleweight started the contest with bad intentions and immediately took the fight to Cacheiro. The traveling Argentinian was in survival mode from the opening bell, and one minute and 33 seconds into round two, the referee Rocky Israel had seen enough. Bevan, 4-0 (4 KOs), landed repeated blows with both hands, and with nothing coming back Israel saved Cacheiro from the inevitable.
Emmanuel Buttigieg, 9-0 (3 KO), recorded a stoppage win in what was supposed to be his toughest test. The 20-year-old middleweight fought the experienced Novak Radulovic, 20-13-1 (8 KOs), but there proved a huge difference in class. In the second round Buttigieg dropped Radulovic with a left hook, and it was not long before the referee Lee Every had seen enough. Early into the third Buttigieg landed two clean right hands – one after the other – and Every ended proceedings before Radulovic could take further punishment. The stoppage came 45 seconds into round three.
The junior bantamweight Shannon Ryan survived an early scare to defeat Fara El Bousairi. Ryan, 9-1 (1 KO), started brightly but was clipped by a left hook by El Bousairi, 10-6 (3 KOs), while coming in and seemed to lose her balance. She stumbled to the floor and was counted by the referee Israel, much to her dismay. She did, however, take control again, and finished the contest the 77-74 winner on Israel’s scorecard.