Light heavyweight contender Daniel Lapin made a fast start, and it looked like he could be in for a quick night against Frenchman Dylan Colin, but the Ukraine-based Pole ultimately had to bide his time.
Colin, a former kickboxer, steadied the ship in the second but Lapin was busy with his jab in the third and fourth and constantly moving. The left side of Colin’s face was starting to mark up, too.
In the eighth, Colin was shaken by a counter right hook, but he kept trying to forge forward with little success but no little effort.
Lapin was countering quickly and also hard to hit, making him a worthy winner by scores of 100-90 and 99-91 (twice).
Lapin is now 11-0 (4 KOs). Colin is 14-1 (4 KOs).
It was 20-year-old Saudi junior lightweight prospect Mohammed Alakel who opened proceedings in the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on the evening of Oleksandr Usyk’s rematch with Tyson Fury.
Alakel, who works with trainer Joe Gallagher, defeated Spain-based Colombian Joshua Ocapmo, a journeyman who slipped to 8-43-5 (6 KOs), flooring him the visitor in the second round.
Alakel was in charge from the start, landing big shots with the right hand, whether they were looping blows or uppercuts, and he worked well behind straight punches in the second, jolting Ocampo’s head back on occasion.
He also caught Ocampo falling in with a right that sent him to the canvas. It was predictably one-way traffic and Ocampo offered little but courage as resistance.
Alakel won by margins of 60-53 across the board.
Los Angeles-based Ukrainian heavyweight Andrii Novytskyi, 14-0 (10 KOs) used his height and reach advantages to keep Dallas-based Mexican Edgar Ramirez, 10-2-1 (4 KOs), at bay over 10 so-so rounds.
Novytskyi, who is 6ft 6ins, dictated terms and Ramirez was largely a passenger, following Novytskyi around but landing little while soaking up occasional shots to the head and body.
It was scored 100-90 (twice) and 98-92.