Montana Love vs Stevie Spark – Results & Post Fight Report

There was an upset atop the Matchroom promoted bill at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, as Montana Love was disqualified in the sixth round of his WBA Intercontinental super lightweight defence against Stevie Spark.

Love (18-1-1, KO9) had come into the contest with the Australian unbeaten in 19 fights, while Spark (16-2, KO14) was on a run of three straight victories following a July 2021 stoppage defeat to Tim Tszyu.

Love had the advantage in the first round, but was then on the canvas a round later, as Spark landed with two flush right hands to the chin that dropped the American. Spark was frustrating Love by being hard to pin down, and he had to be wary of the Aussie’s power.

In the fourth, Love worked well off his jab to keep Spark at bay, but Spark returned in the fifth to get through Love’s defences. With the contest warming up, the fight came to a crazy conclusion in the sixth. There was an accidental head butt to begin the frame, with Love cut over the left eye. This incensed the champion, who was allowed to carry on, and there was urgency as the fight could be stopped at any point. With the two exchanging, they got involved in a clinch, and with Love refusing to stop pushing forwards, he threw Spark over the top rope and out of the ring.

Spark’s corner pushed for a disqualification as chaos ensued, and the referee and officials agreed, much to Love and his team’s disgust.

Richardson Hitchens (15-0, KO7) took the vacant IBF North American super lightweight title, as he forced Yomar Alamo (20-2-1, KO12) to retire after eight rounds of battle. Hitchens was just too much for his opponent, and the referee called a halt to proceedings before the ninth round could get underway in a contest scheduled for ten.

Raymond Ford (13-0-1, KO7) also ended matters in the eighth, as he knocked out Sakaria Lukas (25-2-1, KO17) to defend his WBA Continental Americas featherweight title. For dropped Lukas in the opener, and a huge left hook in the eighth forced the stoppage.

The final ten rounder saw an upset, as Christian Tapia (15-1, KO12) lost his unbeaten record and his WBC Continental Americas super featherweight title in a points defeat to Thomas Mattice (20-3-1, KO15). Tapia was dropped in the second, and Mattice took the win by scores of 97-93 and 96-92 (twice).

In six round bouts, Raynell Williams (14-1, KO7) took all six rounds, and dropped Ryizeemmion Ford (8-3, KO6) in the opener at super featherweight, while at super welterweight, Nikoloz Sekhniashvili (8-1, KO6) forced a third round retirement from David Rodriguez (6-1, KO2). Khalil Coe (4-0-1, KO1) knocked down Bradley Olmeda (5-1, KO3) in the fifth, before taking a shutout points win at light heavyweight.

History was made at super featherweight, where Beatriz Ferreira (1-0, KO1) made her professional debut against Taynna Cardoso (5-1, KO1) in a match set for four, three minute rounds. The Brazilian was dominant, dropping Cardoso in rounds one and three on the way to a 40-34 win on all three cards.