By Alexey Sukachev
Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, Wales - WBO light heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly (24-0, 11KOs) dominated Tommy Karpency (21-3-1, 14KOs) over twelve rounds, winning every round clearly. All three judges had it scored 120-108.
Cleverly dominated from the start. Karpency, for whatever reason, used the unusual strategy of staying against the ropes while Cleverly punished him with punches. Karpency was using that strategy to create an opening for a big counter, but the big counter never came and most of his punches were blocked.
Karpency looked like a beaten fighter after four rounds, but the action continued. Karpency absorbed punishment in each round, but he continued to throw punches back after Cleverly's attacks. Karpency stayed in there because Cleverly doesn't have the punching power to put him away. Karpency tried to rally in the eleventh and the twelfth, but Clevery was still much better and landed more often to close the fight.
Former cruiserweight champion Enzo Maccarinelli (34-5, 27KOs) stopped Ciaran Healy (13-17-1, 4KOs) in two rounds. Healy was dropped by bodyshots, twice, in the second round. As Enzo was working him over, Healy's corner threw in the towel. Enzo will now face BBBoC cruiserweight champ Shane McPhilbin on March 23.
Hot welterweight talent Frankie Gavin (12-0, 9 KOs) got another impressive stoppage as he totally dominated Scottish veteran Kevin McIntyre (30-9, 9 KOs) in three painfully damaging rounds. Gavin, a former 2007 Chicago amateur champion, had all the tools in the world to hit fragile (he was stopped five times before) McIntyre and he avoided any return punishment. Frankie increased his dominance over the course of this short fight and finally got to the Scottsman in the third round. McIntyre ate several body punches and a left hook already on his way down to the ground. TKO 3 and another brilliant display of the skill by the fast-rising Englishman. Time of stoppage was 2:22.
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Up-and-coming welterweight prospect Liam Smith (9-0-1, 4 KOs) did a good job of pounding out a decision against elusive but too passive trialhorse Paul Morby (6-11-1). Smith was an aggressor throughout the whole fight and was close to a premature stoppage several times. Morby was deducted a point for dangerous headbutting and lost every round in the bout. The sole score was 80-69 - for the Liverpudlian.
Middleweight Liam Williams (2-0) won a four round decision over Tommy Tolan (4-9). Liam Williams makes a solid start in his second pro contest, however the gallant Tolan makes life difficult for the whole of the first round. The second round is a toe to toe affair, with both men trading blows; Williams suffers a fairly bad cut to the right side of the head midway through the round. The third round is a tough affair with both men with suffering from deep facial cuts, Williams finishes the stronger and has his hand raised by the referee at the end of the contest (40-36).
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