Jeremias Nicolas Ponce upset Lewis Ritson at the Vertu Motors Arena, as the Argentine won their IBF Super Lightweight final eliminator via tenth round stoppage.
Ritson was coming off the back of a contentious win over Miguel Vazquez at the back end of 2020, while 24-year-old Ponce had served as an undefeated IBO champion, but had to climb off the canvas to win his most recent fight.
Ponce worked well to the body in the opener, with several shots taking the wind out of the wind out of the home favourite’s sails, but Ritson rode the storm, and the two exchanged in close quarters warfare in round two.
Slashing uppercuts from the South American found a home in the third, and the visitor kept up a high work rate in a bid to keep the man from the North East out of his comfort zone. The man from Buenos Aires fought at a tremendous pace, and it was one that Ritson struggled to keep up with, and the breakthrough came in the tenth.
Ponce landed with some slashing shots, and a body shot dropped the home favourite. Ritson survived the count, and a follow up onslaught caused Ritson’s corner to throw in the towel, but referee, Steve Gray rejected the surrender, instead allowing ‘The Sandman’ to continue.
The end wasn’t long in coming though, and another sledgehammer of a body shot dropped the man from the North East once again. Ritson survived the count, but a follow up attack with more hurtful body shots dropped Lewis once again, and the fight was mercifully waved off.
Ponce now moves on to a potential meeting with undisputed ten stone world champion, Josh Taylor.
Former British Super Bantamweight champion, Thomas Patrick Ward, maintained his unbeaten record, as the man from West Rainton recorded a sharp and smart pints win over ten rounds against Mexico’s Edy Valencia Mercado up at Featherweight.
Ward was floored in the fifth by a short left uppercut by the visitor that caught him off balance, but he was completely in control up to that point.
Ward continued to dominate in the second half of the contest, and showed slick skills and movement to score a win on the scorecards by tallies of 98-92 (twice) and 97-93.
Alen Babic remained undefeated, as the Croatian Heavyweight stopped Damian Chambers in three rounds of their scheduled six rounder.
Babic unloaded in the third, and, after a volley of punches, a massive left hand rendered Chambers unsteady on the ropes, and the referee stepped in.
Solomon Dacres scored a first inside schedule win, as the Midlands based Heavyweight halted Alvaro Terrero in four rounds of their scheduled six rounder.
Cyrus Pattinson made his pro debut, and the Ashington native knocked out Yoncho Markov in two rounds.
Joe Laws opened the show, and the Welterweight bounced back from a stoppage defeat to Rylan Charlton behind him by winning all six rounds against Chris Adaway at Welterweight.
April Hunter moved to 4-0 as a pro, as she toom a 40-37 win in her Super Welterweight encounter with Klaudia Vigh.