O’Leary refused to fold. The champion battled back over the middle rounds, applying constant pressure despite what appeared to be a broken nose. He enjoyed success in the fourth and fifth before edging the sixth. The comeback reached its high point in the seventh when O’Leary landed a right to the body that dropped Chamberlain for the only knockdown of the challenger’s night.
Chamberlain recovered in the eighth by using his reach and southpaw jab to regain control. O’Leary continued pressing in the ninth, but the momentum swung for good in the tenth.
A left uppercut from Chamberlain opened the door for a follow-up barrage that dropped O’Leary for the third time. Referee Leszek Jankowiak immediately halted the contest at 1:37 of Round 10, crowning Chamberlain the new IBO junior welterweight champion after a dramatic battle that featured four knockdowns.
Barney-Smith Outclasses Bellotti
Royston Barney-Smith claimed the vacant IBO Inter-Continental junior lightweight title with a unanimous decision over former British and Commonwealth champion Reece Bellotti.
Barney-Smith’s superior speed carried him through the opening rounds before Bellotti forced the action over the middle portion of the fight by backing him to the ropes and working inside. Bellotti remained aggressive through the closing rounds, but Barney-Smith consistently landed the cleaner punches to earn scores of 98-92, 99-91 and 100-90.
Cully Pulls Off Late Knockout
Gary Cully rescued victory with a dramatic knockout of Lee Reeves 53 seconds into the tenth and final round.
Reeves enjoyed one of the best performances of his career, repeatedly knocking Cully’s mouthpiece loose while opening a cut on his nose. Cully also lost a point because of the repeated mouthpiece issues. Reeves appeared to hold the upper hand entering the final round before Cully landed a crushing left hand that ended the fight instantly.
Cairns Remains Unbeaten
Steven Cairns stopped Irish champion Senan Kelly in the fifth round.
Cairns controlled the opening three rounds before Kelly opened a cut beneath his left eye in the fourth. Cairns answered with a knockdown early in the fifth, then forced the referee to stop the contest after another sustained attack.
Fail Captures Regional Belt
Ben Fail claimed the vacant WBA Inter-Continental junior middleweight title with a fifth-round knockout of Craig O’Brien.
Fail first hurt O’Brien late in the second with a right hook before finishing matters in the fifth with a powerful left hand that sent O’Brien crashing to the canvas for the full count.
McComb Cruises
Sean McComb boxed comfortably over six rounds against durable Spaniard Miguel Cesario Antin.
Antin continued pressing forward throughout the contest, but McComb controlled the action with his jab and movement before rocking Antin with a left hand just before the final bell.
Preliminary Results
Bobbi Flood improved to 3-0 after Davies’ corner threw in the towel during the fourth round following sustained punishment.
Heavyweight prospect Adam Olaniyan stopped late replacement Deepak Pathak in the second round after dropping him with a right hand.
Machlan Arthur halted Ryan Frost in the fourth round after scoring three body-shot knockdowns.
John Joe Carrigan remained unbeaten by stopping Sean Murray in the third round. Carrigan switched between orthodox and southpaw before dropping Murray twice to force the stoppage.
Sami Hamed won his professional debut with a four-round decision over Bela Istvan Orban. Hamed scored knockdowns in the first and fourth rounds on his way to a 40-34 verdict.
Read the full article here
