SAUL “CANELO” ALVAREZ might face John Ryder subsequent after the Islington southpaw ended the very best 12 months of his 12-year profession by handing bookmakers’ favorite Zach Parker his first loss.
Parker was dominated out after the fourth spherical of a scheduled 12 on the O2 Enviornment with an damage to his proper hand, a end result that makes Ryder the obligatory challenger for the WBO super-middleweight belt.
Replays confirmed Ryder blocking a Parker uppercut together with his elbow early within the fourth and the 28-year-old from Woodville, Derbyshire, stated afterwards: “I couldn’t maintain him off with one hand.”
Parker stated he was “warming into the battle,” whereas Ryder’s studying of it was “the tide was beginning to flip. I used to be getting extra on prime.”
The scorecards supported Ryder’s view. The three judges, Marcus McDonnell, Benoit Roussel and Matteo Montella, all gave the 34-year-old North Londoner the fourth spherical.
Parker gained the opening three for Mr McDonnell and Mr Roussel, whereas Mr Montella had them stage after 4.
Ryder landed the very best punch of a detailed battle within the last minute of the fourth, a left hand to the jaw sending Parker’s gum protect spinning out of his mouth.
Moving into, the sensation was the battle could be determined both by Parker’s youth (six years youthful) and dimension (three inches) or Ryder’s talent and expertise at prime stage.
Ryder had boxed 97 championship rounds in comparison with Parker’s 99 in his total profession and the older man was coming off his finest win, a cut up factors victory over Daniel Jacobs at Alexandra Palace in February. Parker, in distinction, hadn’t boxed for a yr.
Ryder edged out Jacobs with a surge within the second half of the battle after he misplaced early rounds and there was a risk the Parker battle would have unfolded in the identical means.
Parker used up lots of vitality within the opening three rounds, Ryder gained the fourth clearly – and there have been nonetheless eight rounds to go.
For 3 rounds, there was solely a punch or two between them.
Parker moved and switched, firing the occasional lengthy single, whereas Ryder calmly seemed to edge his toes into vary an discover his goal with jabs.
Ryder’s protests a few potential low blow within the second had been waved away by referee Howard Foster and Parker confirmed him no sympathy both, whacking him on his unprotected chin whereas he was distracted.
Ryder shrugged it off and went again to work.
The instruction to Ryder in his nook from coach Tony Sims was “make him work” and Parker slowed sufficient within the third for Ryder to catch him on the way in which out with proper hooks.
Ryder quickened his toes at first of the fourth and his supporters at ringside had been excited when he obtained near Parker and let his fingers go.
Parker got here again with jabs earlier than delivery the very best punch of the battle, Ryder’s pinpoint left.
Nigel Benn walked Ryder to the ring and the Commonwealth middleweight title he as soon as held was contested on this Queensberry Promotions present.
John Ryder receives affirmation of his unsatisfactory win over Zach Parker
Hamzah Sheeraz introduced the belt again to Ilford – the place Benn was billed out of in his profession – in spectacular model, referee Victor Loughlin ruling River Wilson-Bent might take no extra after 2-55 of the second spherical.
Solely crushed by Tyler Denny on a cut up in 15 earlier fights, Wilson-Bent (Coventry) had been rocked repeatedly, dropped and his left eye was badly swollen.
Sheeraz has now stopped his final 11. The 23-year-old is thought for patiently breaking down opponents, however in opposition to Wilson-Bent, he was straight all the way down to enterprise.
There was solely round an inch in peak between them – Sheeraz with the benefit at 6ft 3ins – and it was Sheeraz who discovered his vary together with his lead hand faster. The velocity and pressure of his jabs had Wilson-Bent blinking and disorganised and the disaster deepened when Sheeraz began touchdown his proper.
Wilson-Bent ended the primary badly shaken and with blood coming from a nick on his left cheek – and Sheeraz saved drilling him with left-rights within the second.
Sheeraz pinned him in a nook and, unable to see the punches coming and with nowhere else to go, Wilson-Bent took a knee.
Mr Loughlin waved it off after he obtained to his toes at “eight.”
Dennis McCann and Sam Noakes – each from Maidstone and combating out of the iBox Fitness center in Bromley – additionally claimed vacant Commonwealth titles, at super-bantamweight and light-weight respectively.
McCann stopped Glasgow’s Joe Ham in eight, a career-best efficiency from the 21-year-old southpaw. Ham had by no means been stopped earlier than.
True, the Scot had fought solely 3 times within the earlier three years – dropping two – however he was aggressive in opposition to Jack Bateson over eight rounds, extra aggressive than he was right here.
McCann, by no means previous eight rounds earlier than, stated: “I simply broke him down” and was very spectacular. The starlet did a bit extra within the opening three rounds as each had been reluctant to make the primary transfer,
He bloodied Ham’s nostril with uppercuts and jumped by the gears within the fourth after touchdown a clear mixture.
Ham fired again with rights, convincing McCann to name off his assault and return to selecting single punches. There was one other two-fisted burst from McCann within the fifth after he dazed Ham and once more, the Scot saved him off with rights.
Ham went on to complete the spherical on the entrance foot and should have edged a quieter sixth, however you sensed McCann had intentionally taken his foot off the fuel and needed the Scot to know his finest wasn’t going to be sufficient earlier than upping the tempo once more and placing him in his place.
Instructed by his nook to “stroll him again,” Ham as a substitute discovered himself pushed again within the seventh and the tip got here within the subsequent.
McCann knocked Ham into the ropes with a proper uppercut-straight left and this time, he saved him there till Marcus McDonnell waved it off after 2-28 of the spherical.
Noakes proved too robust for Calvin McCord (Ayr), dropping him 4 occasions within the fourth with physique photographs earlier than Mr Loughlin waved it off.
The opening two rounds had been aggressive as McCord was capable of finding some room, however as soon as Noakes obtained near him, there was solely going to be one winner.
McCord felt a physique shot late within the third and needed to take a knee early within the fourth from an analogous punch.
Noakes didn’t let him recuperate, the tip coming at 2-14 of the spherical after a fourth knockdown.
Pierce O’Leary (Dublin) was taken the total 10 rounds by cussed Namibian southpaw Emmanuel Mungandjela. Scores had been 99-90 (Victor Loughlin), 99-89 (Massimo Barrovecchio) and 96-92 (Alexander Walter).
The well-schooled O’Leary had the clumsy Mungandjela down within the first and fifth with high quality brief punches and had him wobbly in most rounds.
Every time, Mungandjela would straighten himself and fireplace again. Badly shaken within the ninth and means behind on factors, Mungandjela took the battle to O’Leary at first of the tenth, however after a minute or so, the Irishman was again in cost.
Norfolk southpaw Tommy Fletcher spectacularly laid out Jiri Krejci (Czech Republic) in 2-19 of a scheduled 4 with a left uppercut in a battle refereed by Mr McDonnell and Mr Lyson had Sonny Liston Ali (Romford) successful all six rounds in opposition to Bulgarian southpaw Georgi Velichkov.
THE VERDICT: Anti-climatic finish to the principle occasion however some showcase performances on the undercard