Boxing News – June 27, 2019

JOSUE

TRIED

BUT

THEN

REECE

FIRED

IN THE

BODY

SHOT

THAT

ENDED

IT

over the last four. It was Richards’ fifth
win since his sole defeat – a points loss to
Frank Buglioni in a British title bid – and
now he’s won a second chance.
Conor Benn kept his unbeaten record,
and the WBA Continental welterweight
title – but Finnish challenger Jussi
Koivula had his moments before going
down twice and succumbing in the second
of a scheduled 10.
Koivula started fast and Benn (Ilford)
seemed taken by surprise, grabbing when
Koivula came close. Benn tried to rally, but
was caught by a left-right.
Benn roared out for the second, and
Koivula hit back – but was dropped by
a combination to the head. He beat the
count, but Benn’s follow-up had him
down in his own corner – and when Benn
opened up again, referee Williams waved
it off after two minutes. Unrequired judges
were Terry O’Connor, Erkki Meronen and
Jesus Morata Garcia.
Last time out, former Commonwealth
featherweight champion Reece Bellotti
dropped a split verdict to Ryan Walsh in a
British title challenge. Six months later to
the day, he launched his comeback with a
fourth-round KO of Nicaragua-born Josue
Bendana (based in Spain).
A left hook to the body put Bendana
down in slow motion, and referee Kieran
McCann counted him out at 2-13 of the
fourth. It was scheduled for six.
Bendana tried but Bellotti dominated
from the outset, scoring with jabs at long
range and digging in body shots in close.
Bendana came out aggressively for the
fourth but was caught as he came in – and
then Bellotti fired in the body shot that
finished it.
After an indifferent start, Westbury’s
Anthony Fox is coming good. Going
into his bout with Croydon’s unbeaten
Duane Sinclair he had won his last two,
most recently flooring and outpointing

Welshman Morgan Jones at Merthyr Tydfil

• and he handed Sinclair his first defeat,
  referee Mark Bates scoring their eight-
  rounder 79-73.
  Sinclair tried to create space, and
  counter, but just couldn’t keep Fox off. Fox
  pressed forward all the time, and Sinclair
  was frequently forced to cover up.
  Sinclair launched a big attack in the
  seventh, but Fox hit back. Fox was backed
  up against the ropes, and held on – but
  quickly regained the initiative, scoring to
  the body.
  Fox kept up the pressure in the last, and
  was a good winner.
  Otha Jones III (Toledo, Ohio) made
  a winning UK debut on this Matchroom
  promotion, flooring and halting Michael
  Horabin (Mottram in Longdendale) in
  one minute 40 seconds of a scheduled six.

http://www.boxingnewsonline.net JUNE 27, 2019 lBOXING NEWSl 17

AGGRESSOR:

Benn flies at Koivula

HEAD OVER HEELS:

Jones celebrates

in style after

his win against

Horabin

Jones opened up quickly, and a big

left hook to the head had Horabin down.

Jones’ follow-up was delayed when referee

McCann warned him for hitting low – but

when Jones resumed the attack he was

landing at will, and finally a sweeping right

dropped Horabin on his back. Mr McCann

stopped it at once.

In a women’s six-twos, Watford’s

Shannon Courtenay halted Latvian

Valerija Sepetovska at 1-17 of the

second.

Sepetovska tried to fight back but was

under constant pressure, and a right to the

head put her down in the first. The visitor

came out bravely for the second but was

soon in more trouble – and was taking

stick when referee Bates stopped it.

Charles Frankham (Crowthorne) had

an easy win over Latvian Ilgvars Krauklis

in their scheduled four. An innocuous-

looking left-right to the head put Krauklis

down and he sat out referee McCann’s

count, jumping up when it finished. The

time was 1-43 of the first.

THE VERDICTCheeseman-Conway

must go on again.

FULL RESULTS

Ted Cheeseman (152lbs 7oz), 15-1-1 (9), d pts

12 Kieron Conway (153 1/4lbs), 12-1-1 (3); Craig

Richards (174 1/4lbs), 15-1 (8), w pts 12 Andre

Sterling (173lbs 3oz), 10-1 (4); Conor Benn

(146lbs 2oz), 15-0 (10), w rsf 2 Jussi Koivula

(147lbs), 24-7-1 (9); Reece Bellotti (127lbs 10oz),

14-2 (12), w ko 4 Josue Bendana (132lbs 5oz),

10-12-4 (6); Charles Frankham (135lbs), 2-0 (1),

w ko 1 Ilgvars Krauklis (128lbs 9oz), 1-5 (1);

Shannon Courtenay (120lbs 7oz), 3-0 (1), w rsf

2 Valerija Sepetovska (122lbs 1oz), 0-2; Otha

JonesIII (138lbs 7oz), 2-0 (1), w rsf 1 Michael

Horabin (132 1/2lbs), 2-12; Anthony Fox (172lbs

7oz), 8-12-4, w pts 8 Duane Sinclair (176lbs 3oz),

10-1 (4).