Top of the bill was Jordan “The Thrill” Gill, who, in front of an adoring home crowd impressed in stopping Mexican import, Emmanuel Dominguez inside three rounds, and picked up the WBA International Featherweight Title.
Gill, from nearby Chatteris, started well, and as he meant to go on, putting together some eye catching work. After two one sided rounds, Gill stepped on the gas in round three, and chopped Dominguez down with rights and lefts to force a knockdown. After surviving the count, the follow up was swift. Swinging rights and lefts left Dominguez a rabbit in headlights, and Gill scored a second knockdown. Dominguez again survived, but the inevitable was imminent, and another blurring assault saw the referee step in, with Dominguez stopped for only the second time in his career.
Post fight, Gill said he was inspired by his legion of followers, and insisted the best is yet to come. Gill picked up a scratched eyeball and a damaged rib in training, but came through with flying colours. Gill mentioned Kiko Martinez as a future opponent for the European Title. This was a view shared by his promoter, Eddie Hearn.
Richard Riakporhe catapulted himself into domestic Cruiserweight Title contention, with an impressive win against Belfast’s Tommy McCarthy.
It was a feeling out first round, but McCarthy just about shaded the second with good inside work and fast hands.
Riakporhe, who entered the Arena to the strains of Lenny Kravitz, began to turn the screw from the third round, working well off the jab. The breakthrough came in the very next round, with a booming right hand to the top of the head from Riakporhe doing the damage, and a follow up attack put the Irishman down. McCarthy survived the count, and he was now on unsteady legs, and a controlled assault forced the referees intervention.
Anthony Sims Jr dropped down to Super Middleweight for a ten rounder with Mateo Damian Veron, and pretty much did as he pleased. Working off a crisp jab, the American dominated proceedings, with the Argentine content to stay out of trouble.
After a pedestrian first five rounds, Sims upped the tempo at the start of the sixth, and flattened Veron with a sharp straight right hand. Veron bravely survived the count, but the end was most certainly nigh. A short right hand left Veron sprawling on the canvas with his gumshield out, but referee Bob Williams unnecessarily administered the count which he couldn’t beat.
A step up must surely be imminent for Sims, who is revelling in his adopted Britishness. But Sims will next box in Los Angeles on April 26. His handlers believe he can be as good as the greats including Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler.
Nottingham’s Leigh Wood captured the vacant Commonwealth Featherweight Title with a ruthless second round knockout win over the outgunned Abraham Bonsu.
The belt had been vacated by Wood’s now stablemate, Jordan Gill, and he wasted no time in keeping it in the Rotherham gym. A body shot put the Ghanaian down in the second, but Bonsu survived the count. The damage had been done though, and Dave Coldwell trained and managed Wood now knew the weakness in Bonsu, and exploited it with another well placed body shot. Bonsu sat out the count to hand Wood the Title.
Wood was understandably happy with his performance, and hopes that the Commonwealth crown will now open doors for him after a barren couple of years,
Due to the early finishes, Joe Steed was afforded a chance to shine just before the main event, in a four round Super Welterweight contest against Miguel Aguilar. In an entertaining tussle, Steed moved to 5-0 with a 40-36 points win.
