By: Ste Rowen
Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle, Stuttgart was the setting for the second Super Middleweight quarter final of the World Boxing Super Series, as Turkey’s Avni Yildrim took on IBO World Champion, Chris Eubank Jr. Stuttgart is said to be home to around 20,000 Turks, but their number, nor the ferocious atmosphere they created, helped Avni, as the IBO champion dispatched Yildrim in impressive fashion.
From the first bell Yildrim, 16-0-0 heading into the bout, predictably marched forward with his high guard, whilst Eubank Jr stylishly fought off the back foot and went in search of what is seemingly his favorite weapon, the uppercut. Yildrim threw little and connected even less as Eubank fired off the jab and, with his back to the ropes, threw a clean uppercut that forced Yildrim to take a knee giving the Brit an early 10-8 round.
Into the second Yildrim began to throw more but Eubank stayed on top. The Turk was clearly not confident in straying from what he knows and got him into the tournament, as he continued to plod forward. Round three was more of the same until Eubank began to unload and hit Yildrim in the sweet spot with a left hook, which sent Yildrim swinging and to the canvas, forcing the end of the fight.
Eubank Jr, now 26-1-0, moves onto the semifinals to fight either WBA World Champion, George Groves or highly thought of but relatively unknown, Jamie Cox. Eubank’s record is developing nicely and he’s not afraid to fight his own way, displaying slick moves and high-volume punching since his one and only defeat to WBO Middleweight Champion, Billy Joe Saunders, but he will know that sterner tests are ahead when he steps in to the ring for the WBSS semi-final, touted for early 2018.