Super lightweight Steve Spark (16-2, 14 KOs) won by sixth round disqualification against previously unbeaten IBF #6, WBO #7 rated Montana Love (18-1-1, 9 KOs) on Saturday night at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. Sparks dropped Love in round two, but Love was able to recover. Spark was able to rough up Love in round five. A head clash in round six left Love with a cut over his left eye. The ring doctor examined the cut and allowed the fight to continue. Both fighters came at each other aggressively. They wrestled and Spark went over the top rope. Love was then disqualified. Time was :25. Spark won the WBA Intercontinental title.
“Thank you to Cleveland for the hospitality,” said Spark. “My job is to fight, and this has changed my life. I’m devastated how it ended. I got the early knock down and I was fighting with my whole heart, it was growing into a great fight, but we didn’t want it to end this way.”
“He was using dirty rough house tactics all night and I pushed him off me, I didn’t lift him up or throw him out of the ring,” said Love. “We wanted him to tire out and catch him later on, and that’s where it was going. I want to do it again, he can’t outbox me or outfight me, let’s do it again.”
“It was a bad decision,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Montana was rough but he didn’t intentionally throw him out of the ring, and Steve got back into the ring and wanted to keep fighting. Referees have a tough job but that was a poor decision and one made too quickly.
“It was turning into a great fight, the commission will review, I would love to do it again.”
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Unbeaten super lightweight Richardson Hitchins (15-0, 7 KOs) schooled Yomar Alamo (20-2-1, 12 KOs) for eight one-sided rounds. Alamo’s corner finally pulled the plug after round eight. Hitchins claimed the IBF North American title and probably a top 15 ranking.
WBA #8, WBC #13, WBO #13, IBF #14 featherweight Raymond “Savage” Ford (13-0-1, 7 KOs) successfully defended his WBA Continental Americas title with a spectacular eighth round knockout against Sakaria Lukas (25-2-1 17 KOs). Ford laid out Lukas with a huge right hand at 2:20.
Super featherweight Thomas “Gunna Man” Mattice (20-3-1, 15 KOs) upset previously unbeaten Christian Tapia (15-1, 12 KOs) by ten round unanimous decision. Mattice dropped Tapia in round two, then rocked him him in round three. Tapia rallied, but was rocked by Mattice again in round seven. Scores were 97-92, 96-93, 96-93.
2020 Olympic female silver medalist Beatriz “The Beast” Ferreira won her much anticipated professional debut against previously unbeaten Tanya Cardoso (5-1, 1 KO) over four THREE-MINUTE rounds in a super featherweight clash. Ferreira looked powerful, dropping Cardoso in rounds one and three. Scores were 40-34 3x. She is being fast-tracked to a world title and a possible showdown with Amanda Serrano.
Super welterweight Nikoloz Sekhniashvili (8-1, 6 KOs) bludgeoned previously unbeaten David Rodriguez (6-1, 2 KOs) for three rounds, after which the bout was stopped by the ring doctor.
2008 Olympian Raynell Williams (14-1, 7 KOs) dropped Ryizeemmion Ford (8-3, 6 KOs) in round one, then cruised to a 60-53 3x win over six rounds. Williams is Montana Love’s older brother.
In a clash between unbeaten cruiserweights, Khalil Coe (4-0-1, 2 KOs) took a six round unanimous decision over Bradley Olmeda (5-1, 3 KOs). Olmeda down in round five. Scores were 60-53 3x.
They said that Ferreira INSISTED on 3 minute rounds and they gave it to her. Is that all it takes??
Mattice is super underrated.
Mattice lost a majority decision to Isaac Cruz & has been on the wrong end of a decision or two. He looks good after dropping down to 130 lbs.
Dang, Hitchins stabbed the sh*t out of Alamo. A great jab (also to stomach) can break a fighter’s mental spirit.
Love wanted that DQ. He was going out hard. He simply couldn’t handle Spark’s physicality. Every punch he got hit with had him grabbing for dear life.
Over the too rope stopped being a DQ in wrestling long ago. Seriously though that was a bowling shoe ugly fight.
Love wanted out as soon as he realised he was in a real fight. Well done Stevie Spark you exposed the loudmouthed show pony
Exactly. When you are clearly making eye contact with everyone talking to you….. yet cry “I can’t see”, the world knows you are afraid and want to quit. Montana Love….. the boxing world would be much better if you never fight again. Just quit please. Spare us.
I have to ask, why is your name “nylon polymer?” I work in textiles (among other things), and nylon and PET, and to a lesser extent, PTT are huge items in my World.
Just one of my many burner accounts. For when I want to trick you guys into actually giving me some thumb ups!
Well done. I just thumbed up two of your posts. “Nylon polymer” seemed like an odd one. But nylon has earned me a healthy living for many years.
Montana was a total disgrace. Can someone remind him he is not in prison anymore. The stuff he is doing is not gonna fly in a profesional ring.
Stevie Spark destroyed Love physically & mentally. It was just a matter of time before he knocked out Love, who pulled the old DQ tank job in front of his hometown fans.
Good win by Spark, Love all hype and a dirty fighter
STEVIE SPARK HAHAHA suck shit Love, thought he was just gunna walk through him. Legend
Someone here already nailed it. Love got cracked and knew he wasn’t gonna make it for the long haul. In front of the home crowd the only way to avoid that was to earn himself a DQ. The fans kinda didn’t give Spark any respect for being the better fighter to that point and NOT being the one DQ’d. He was ready to keep fighting. He did nothing wrong. Spark did his job and likely would have stopped Love later.
Love was unable to handle the heat brought by a huge bodied/big punching Spark.
While talking to the physician, Love looked like he was looking for an escape because he was cut; and he knew a much larger Spark was going to bring more heat with punches and heavy physical pressure – Love was clearly uncomfortable.
After he unwillingly continued fighting, Love caught more heat from Spark and tried another escape plan by purposely using shoulder leverage and a face shove to push Spark out of the ring. Just immediately prior to the wrestling move, Love “snapped” because Spark’s heavy physical contacts and heavy punching made a cut Love VERY worried. Amazingly, Spark landed on his feet.
In sum, while under heavy fire and heavy pressure, a cut Love was looking for an escape because he feared losing by TKO or KO (in his hometown). Hitchins (a New Yorker) is going to talk massive trash against Love. I can see Hitchins calling Love a chicken sh*t. If there is a rematch, maybe Love should stay out of his hometown.
Great replies, spot on.
This was a fantastic card!
Ferreira is a beast as her nickname reads. Other girl was good too but not good enough.
Raynell Williams is a total badass.
Mattice vs Tapia was a war! I was rooting for Tapia, but Mattice won and deserves hella praise!
Montana Love is a douchebag and his fans know it. Spark imposed his will and made Love panic in public. I’m not a hater but so glad Love lost. He deserved the DQ , and would have got tko’d anyways.
Oh and that guy from Georgia means business. Whooped the shit out of Rodriguez
He must have thought it was WWE rules and over the top rope got you the win
Eddie Hearn saying it was a poor decision by the referee if the WBA reserved the decision by no decision instead DQ win to Spark it won’t do WBA or Ohio boxing commission any creditability
I think Eddie was, in part, trying to defuse the situation with Love’s corner getting in the referee’s face. He was indicating that the decision was not up for debate. As the promoter, it is certainly his job to stick up for his fighter and lodge an appeal, but I bet he knows that it is a long shot to overturn the DQ.
In short, I think you have to take his remarks made at the time with grain of salt.
I have not seen whether a formal appeal was made today.
Either way, it was a good idea to get calmer heads to prevail and not make a bad night even worse.
I don’t know what precedent there is for a successful appeal, but I would be surprised if there was much of a chance for getting a reversal.
Love’s team were complaining that the official did not warn or penalize Spark for repeated elbows. Maybe I missed something but I didn’t see any elbows or clear dirty tactics for either fighter until the DQ.
Net fight Stevie spark should take is Liam Paro all Australian action fight in Brisbane too hard pick a winner there
the right guy won. acting the fool and being a punk on film is forever. take him, the knee throwing Jeff Fenech, and Tyson the biter infamy. He threw him out of the ring then used the ” he did stuff to me first” defense. PURE punk. see ya
when did fenech throw a knee you jelous clown, wheres your 4 world title belts ya flog
I didn’t lift him or throw him out of the ring…. Ok, Stevie just did a back flip out of the ring all by himself hahaha.. Love was exposed. Congratulations Stevie Spark.
Well done by the referee. Love wrestled and by force and the help of the ropes he broke the rules. The commission will not change the result.
I thought it was a disgusting statement about boxing that Love’s handlers, promoters, the referee, and commissioner were all huddled in the corner after the fight to discuss it all. They can complian all they want (I’d have taken 2 points and let it continue), but Love wasn’t winning that fight. Had they stopped it and gone to a decision, Spark wins. Had they let it resume, Spark wins. There was no way Love and his team could manipulate the result such that their man didn’t lose.
Spark looked sharp and deserved the win. Love couldn’t handle him and got frustrated and his actions devolved into roughhousing tactics and poor sportsmanship. Love clearly wasn’t use to going backwards and didn’t have any real answer for Spark’s speed and aggression. For Eddie Hearn to say that Live didn’t mean to throw him out of the ring is bullsh*t. I’m calling this as the beginning of the end for Love.
Love is an Adrien Broner wanna be. Love needs to get it together. Congratulations to Spark, who was robbed of a possible decision, KO or TKO win. Also, congratulations to Love’s maternal half brother. At least he won tonight. Not sure who the son or the step son is. In either event, Dad/Step Dad needs to give Montana Love a Mike Brady Prep Talk.
Broner is a wannabe as well.
Stevie Spark was a total class act. The fact he landed on his feet was also amazing! Stevie came to fight, whereas Love was all show & no go!
I guess a d q is better than getting knocked out. thats where that cat was headed lol
I always said Love is all hype.
It’s all about sleeping around.
Cheers.
Love wanted out and he seized the opportunity! And what’s with the panic from a small cut? Seriously!! Dude should be ashamed of himself!!!!!
Montana Love your say? I smell something else? You guys smell that?
Complete coward exit from Love. Glad the cameras caught his trying to duck out on a cut. “I can’t see,” he says while looking right at everyone talking to him.
Does anyone know what would’ve happened had Spark not landed on his feet & instead been seriously injured? Could Love have been criminally charged?
montana love should not be allowed in any boxing match anywhere sparks is a true warrior glad he landed on his feet he could have been seriously injured
Eddie Hearn, your fighter was getting done,slow the video down ,play it fast,do whatever you want,but he simply tossed Stark over the ropes!
Referee was correct and you are delusional to say otherwise.
I bet you lost a lot of money too!
Stiff cheddar ol boy!
I’m sorry, but Montana Love is very dirty fighter and he was looking for a way out. He constantly grabbing and pushing down Spark. He never felt power like that before and became an Octopus because he was bewildered with speed and power of the Australian fighter. Love was just embarast in his home town and couldn’t handle it. That ia why he did what he did.
Love was exposed. This is not the1st. time he resorted to dirty tactics and cheap shots. He turn to into a street Thug. Tyson bit Hollyfield ear and Montana said on Saturday; Mike, hold my beer. .