By: Ste Rowen
Defending his WBC flyweight title for the first time, Charlie Edwards improved his professional record to 15-1 (6KOs), with a completely dominant performance over Spanish challenger, Angel Moreno.
Edwards’ light-handed jab and power shots were enough to demoralise his Spaniard opponent over twelve rounds.
The final scorecards were 120-107 (x3), a first defence that was never in doubt. Edwards spoke in the ring,
‘‘When Eddie offered me Rosales; that rematch still stands.’’
The Londoner was well aware of his responsibilities as a champion at flyweight tonight, and Edwards went twelve rounds in dominant fashion, but with Matchroom sending their best Brits abroad recently, if Charlie wants to headline a show again, it must be a unification showdown or a bout with super-fly champ, Yafai.
If they weren’t on notice already, Britain’s best light-heavyweights are struggling to avoid Joshua Buatsi.
Tonight the Olympic bronze medallist took out Liam Conroy in three rounds. Conroy, 16-3-1, was on a 10-bout unbeaten streak, but Buatsi, in black shorts and pink gloves, fought as if Conroy was an inconvenience in his day. With Joshua, now 10-0 (8KOs) and Lonsdale belt holder, on top in the third, the Olympian went in for the finish and left no excuse for referee, Phil Edwards, to let the fight continue. Joshua spoke post-fight,
‘‘The MSG sounds fantastic. If my team gives me the green light, we’re ready.’’
In a Cruiserweight commonwealth and British unification, Lawrence Okolie took just four rounds to dispatch of Wadi Camacho. It was obvious from the start that Okolie, holder of the British strap, wanted to defy the critics that he’s too keen to clinch rather than engage.
The undefeated fighter came out swinging and although his punching was sporadic, it forced Camacho onto the backfoot early. Southpaw, Wadi Camacho was struggling to land and reluctant to throw as ‘The Sauce’ hustled the commonwealth champion out of contention. Okolie buzzed Wadi on numerous occasions early on but indiscipline, seen in previous bouts, began to creep into Lawrence’s approach.
Then in the 4th, Okolie landed a precise right hook that setup a further three power-punches without reply to drop Camacho. Wadi rose but as soon as Okolie jumped on him again the southpaw had no reply and the referee waved it off. An impressive finished from ‘The Sauce’ who becomes commonwealth champion once again and will surely be aiming his gaze at cruiserweights across the continent next. The unified British and Commonwealth 200lb champ spoke post-fight,
‘‘First and foremost, I don’t care who I fight. That’s never been who I am, or what I’m about.
As soon as I hit people they find the need to get on the inside…They don’t a’’
Making his first return to the ring since losing as a professional for the first time, Lewis Ritson, dressed in his now signature black & white shorts, defeated German Argentino Benitez, of Argentina, to a unanimous decision however the scorecards, that came back as 99-91, 98-92 (x2) all for the home fighter, did not do Benitez justice.
The Newcastle-native went in for the kill immediately, only slowing down his punch output when it suited him. However that was in the first half of the fight; Benitez came back with a resurgence in the second half of the 10-round bout, setting up a nervy ending. Ritson, now 18-1 (11KOs) claims the WBA ‘Inter-Continental- lightweight title, but more importantly returns to winning ways after his surprise decision loss to Francesco Patera in October.
Jason Quigley, fighting for the first time in Europe, made easy work of Mathias Eklund, 10-1-2 in just two rounds. Quigley of Ireland, who’s previous 15 bouts were in the US, improves to 16-0 (12KOs) and intends on fighting more frequently in the UK & Ireland.