Former Jr. Welterweight champion Chris Algieri (24-3, 9 KOs) continued his strong comeback bid with a dominant performance over Tommy Coyle (25-5, 12 KOs).
The contest took place at the famed Madison Square Garden Arena on June 1, 2019.
Early on, Coyle seemed to be in control. In the second stanza Coyle connected with a massive left hand. He followed it up with a few clean rights that had Algieri off balance and in serious trouble.
Algieri, who ended a two-and-a-half year hiatus from the ring last year had been on a two-fight winning streak coming in. It seemed as though that aforementioned win streak was ending in short order.
Algieri, had other plans. The former WBO champion got away from his typical boxing and moving style. Instead he came forward and landed a ton of shots.
His new found aggression paid off as he dropped his opponent in the fourth round courtesy of a well timed body shot. The back and forth action continued as both men refused to give ground. Coyle even managed to visibly hurt Algieri in the sixth round.
As the action heated up, so did Algieri. It was becoming increasingly clear that he was dominating the matchup. Coyle didn’t seem to be in any real danger but his corner refused to let their man out for the ninth round.
At the time of the stoppage Algieri was ahead on every judges scorecards as they had the bout 79-72 and 77-74 on two other scorecards.
For Algieri it was his most complete performance yet. This now marks his third fight in the past six months. A mark of activity that is seldom seen in boxers today.
This was the first time that Algieri has won a bout via stoppage since 2013. It’s clear to see that the former champion still has plenty left in the tank.
