Denzel Bentley made a step back up the boxing ladder with an impressive stoppage of Danny Dignum to secure the WBO International middleweight belt. Earlier on the card, Archie Sharp was sent to the canvas on two occasions but got off the floor to secure victory over Facundo Arce. Nathaniel Collins secured a victory on points against Francesco Grandelli.
Denzel Bentley returned to the ring with a stunning second-round destruction of Danny Dignum to take the WBO International middleweight title.
Coming off the back of losing his British middleweight crown to Nathan Heaney in his last contest, Bentley was punch perfect and once he landed a big right hand to the body in the second round the fight was only going to end one way.
Dignum wilted to the floor from the straight right and soon returned to the canvas after more shots to the body with either hand, before an overhand right put his opponent down once more and ended the contest, with the referee deciding he was not able to continue.
In the main fight on the undercard, Ryan Garner and Liam Dillon put on a stunning contest for the WBC International super featherweight title, with the former retaining his belt via a unanimous decision.
Garner (now 15-0, 9 KOs) was clearly the better boxer but Dillon’s irresistible pressure and his own willingness to engage meant the fans were treated to a pulsating contest.
The champion’s left hook to the body was the key punch in the fight, stopping Dillon in his tracks when it landed, while the challenger himself landed enough big left hooks and right hands to earn the respect of Garner.
Nathaniel Collins beat Francesco Grandelli to take the Italian’s EBU Silver Featherweight title.
Collins won the early rounds comfortably before, hampered by a broken nose from an errant elbow in the third, he was drawn into a fight at close quarters, but ended up a fairly comfortable winner.
Archie Sharp also made his return to the ring, winning a 10-round contest against Facundo Arce, despite being put down twice in the first round.
Sharp was caught with a huge left hook early in the first and did well to see out the round having to get up from the canvas as his Argentine opponent rushed in looking for a shock victory.
The Welling fighter (now 25-0, 9 KOs) gathered and outboxed his opponent to win the rest of the rounds, knocking Arce down in the third.
Royston Barney-Smith (now 10-0, 5 KOs) and Tommy Fletcher (8-0, 6 KOs) both continued their unbeaten start to their careers with wide points victories over Jonatas de Oliveira and Viktor Chvarkou respectively.
– – –
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will meet in Riyadh on Saturday, May 18 for the undisputed heavyweight title, with the fight live on TNT Sports Box Office.
