Chris Eubank Jr vs Gary O’Sullivan
At the O2 Arena, London, Chris Eubank Jr survived some worrying moments against Gary O’Sullivan en route to scoring a 7th round TKO. Eubank and O’Sullivan produced a thriller, with both men nailing each other with leg-buckling shots in the opening three rounds. Fans. Were. Delighted.
O’Sullivan survived a rough onslaught on the ropes, proving his warrior mentality was well intact. The Irishman fought back, picking holes – there were plenty – in Eubank’s defense, which made for an enthralling affair. But Eubank then started to beat the fight out of O’Sullivan, punishing his foe with heavy combinations, including a sharp uppercut time and again.
After the 7th came to a close, O’Sullivan’s corner decided they’d seen enough. Sure, the crowd were disgusted with the outcome, but you have to respect the corner’s decision. O’Sullivan seemed to agree post fight, acknowledging he couldn’t have won. So, you know, I’m over it already.
Eubank Jr now becomes the WBA’s No.1 contender to challenge Daniel Jacobs, jumping up to 21 wins, 1 defeat, 16 knockouts. O’Sullivan falls to 22 wins, 2 defeats, 15 knockouts.
Kevin Mitchell vs Ismael Barroso
Luke Campbell wasn’t the only favorite to be upset on the Joshua vs Whyte undercard. On paper, Kevin Mitchell looked to handily beat Ismael Barroso, despite the visiting Venezuelan coming in as a potential knockout artist. But Mitchell’s dreams of earning another world title shot in 2016 fell apart after suffering a violent 5th round stoppage.
For the first four, the action was close, with Mitchell just about edging the action. Both men were respectful of one another’s power, with Mitchell clearly the more cautious and tentative. The referee wrongly scored a knockdown in the 4th after Mitchell fell following an unfortunate orthodox-southpaw footing incident.
But two minutes into the 5th, Barroso scored a legitimate knockdown, sending Mitchell across the canvas with a stiff counter jab. A stunned Mitchell regained his feet, but was blasted by a relentless barrage of hooks on the ropes. The referee showed mercy, stopping the fight just as Mitchell hit the deck.
Mitchell now drops to 39 wins, 4 defeats, 29 knockouts, while Barroso rises to 19 wins, no defeats, 2 draws, 18 knockouts. Barroso looks to be an exciting addition to an already deep Lightweight division.
Tony Bellew vs Mateusz Masternak
Tony Bellew made a good account of himself against Mateusz Masternak, claiming the scalp of a strong, solid opponent on his way to a second world title shot. Bellew, who had his foe on rubbery legs in the final stanza, now picks up the vacant European Cruiserweight title following fair scores of 115-113 and 115-112 (twice). Boxing Base had it 116-112, Bellew.
Bellew vs Masternak was a good old scrap. Masternak did a decent job of pressuring Bellew, scoring with some heavy right hands, but was outclassed by Bellew’s superior skill set. While physically stronger, Bellew was the slicker, savvier operator, and didn’t have many problems finding the chin of Masternak with hooks and singular right hands in particular.
Bellew now climbs to 26 wins, 2 defeats, 1 draw, 16 knockouts, while Masternak falls to 36 wins, 3 defeats, 26 knockouts.
Luke Campbell vs Yvan Mendy
Yvan Mendy turned in a big upset in the Joshua vs Whyte preamble, dropping and outpointing hot prospect Luke Campbell via Split Decision. Judges ringside saw the 12-rounder 115-112, 115-113 and 115-113, which, if you ask me, was a little too generous for Gold Olympian, Campbell. Boxing Base had it 117-110 for Mendy, and for very simple reasons.
Campbell wasn’t thoroughly outclassed per se – the 28-year-old held his own – but was consistently pushed onto the back foot, being overpowered physically, and eating the cleaner, heavier blows. While Campbell may have looked devastating, and eventually bullish against Tommy Coyle earlier this year, his punches took little effect on a strong, fiercely focused Mendy.
The Frenchman walked through Campbell’s flashy combinations, and found much success by playing the role of a very effective aggressor. Mendy was also impressive with counter shots, and put simply, didn’t have too much trouble finding the chin of Campbell. Which was surprising considering Campbell was considered to bring the greater variety and savvy to the bout.
Mendy, 30, now improves to 33 wins, 4 defeats, 1 draw, 16 knockouts, while Campbell returns to Hull with 12 wins, 1 defeat, 10 knockouts.
Give us your take on the Joshua vs Whyte undercard in the comments.
