Unbeaten British super lightweight beltholder Dalton Smith (14-0, 10 KOs) scored a one-sided twelve round unanimous decision over Billy Allington (10-2-4, 0 KOs) in the Wood-Lara co-feature on Saturday night at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, England. Smith dropped the mobile Allington in round eight and landed the harder punches throughout the bout. Scores were 120-107, 119-108, 119-108. Next up for Dalton is a clash with Sam Maxwell, who fought on the undercard.
Unbeaten lightweight Gary “The Diva” Cully (16-0, 10 KOs) destroyed previously unbeaten Wilfredo Flores (10-1-1, 5 KOs) in round two in a bout for the vacant WBA Intercontinental title. Flores cut in round one, dropped twice in round two. Time was 1:52.
Unbeaten cruiserweight Cheavon Clarke (5-0, 4 KOs) went the distance for the first time against late replacement Israel Duffus (20-9, 17 KOs), Clarke dropped Duffus twice in round six, once in round seven, and once again at the final bell, but the rugged Duffus got up to finish the full ten. Score was 98-88, 98-88, 98-90.
In an upset, unheralded super bantamweight Diego Ruiz (24-6-1, 12 KOs) surprised former European beltholder Gamal Yafai (19-3, 11 KOs). Ruiz dropped Yafai in rounds two, three, and ten en route to a ten round 98-89, 97-90, 97-91 unanimous decision. Ruiz was 0-3-1 in his previous four bouts. Yafai was an 8:1 favorite.
Super lightweight Sam Maxwell (17-1, 11 KOs) shut out Shaun Cooper (13-5, 0 KOs) over six rounds 60-54.
Wow Ruiz wiped the floor with Yafai. I didn’t give him any rounds at all. He was just being tagged by left hands all night. Wow
Yafai took punishment no man should be allowed to absorb. The referee or his corner should’ve stepped in and saved the fighter from punishment. As his corner had no idea of how to change the course of the fight there were no reason to let the fight continue round after round with Yafai fighting out of instinct while being punished by his opponent.
The two older Yafai brothers probably should call it a day.
Cheavon Clarke looks very promising. Impressed