Rising 140-pound prospect Daniel Egbunike looked sharp in earning a decision over Martin McDonagh. Elsewhere on the card, Ohara Davies defeated Vazquez via a much-disputed decision.
Davies was taken to the hospital on suspicion of having broke a rib in the Lightweight bout.
Even Davies seemed embarrassed to be handed the gift decision. He refused to allow his hand to be raised and twice held up Vazquez’s hand in the ring. Later he visited Vazquez in the dressing room to apologies. Elsewhere on the card former world title challenger Anthony Yigit won a 78-75 decision over a game Siar Ozgul.
Before the fight the Egbunike and McDonagh’s camp had exchanged sharp words. However, Egbunike proved superior. Trapped on the ropes for maybe the first time in the fight in the second round threw a crisp right hand but, in closing his eyes in doing so showed he was not as mentally focused as he could be.
Indeed, soon after he got on his bicycle seeming content to survive each round on his jab with Darko using his footwork to cut-off the ring and close the distance. McDonagh needs to work on his head movement. Despite this “Danny Darko” seemed gracious in his post-fight comments.
“It was the toughest fight I have had in my boxing career,” told the media and promised to be back in the ring soon.
Former Olympian Anthony Yigit told Round By Round Boxing he also hopes to fight two more times this year after his win as proof that he “love’s to fight.”
Yigit took a lot of punishment in the fight and could have easily cruised to victory by turning the fight into a boxing match. However, in what was perhaps the night’s most entertaining match-up, both fighters were eager to trade bombs.
However, it was Yigit who was in a better position in the exchanges due to his superior footwork. A couple of times Yigit even “Crossing the T” on his flat-footed opponent.
“I was not expecting the tough fight – to his credit,” said Yigit in an exclusive interview with Round by Round Boxing after the fight. “He came to fight and had good power even though he dropped weight for this fight.”
Anthony Yigit hopes to challenge for another world title soon perhaps against the UK’s own Josh Taylor (the two fought in the amateur ranks). The fighter from Sweden came up short against Ivan Baranchik last year in New Orleans as part of the World Boxing Super Series tournament.
“As soon as a possible, I want to fight two maybe even three times this year,” said Yigit with his trademark smile.
In the other noteworthy fight on the card, Ohara Davies was awarded a 97-94 victory over former world champion Miguel Vazquez. On press-row the consensus was Vazquez had won the fight.
However, the referee saw it differently. Davies appeared a bit embarrassed by the gift decision raised his opponent’s hands twice and according to Vazquez’s corner also apologizes to Vazquez in the dressing room.
Davie’s response was classy but, during the fight, it was Miguel who showed he was in a different class. Vazquez controlled the fight and rarely opened opportunities for Davies to go on the offensive. Vazquez the former IBF Lightweight champion from 2010 to 2014 showed yet again while he was a master defensive fighter and indeed one of the best Mexico has produced.
From the middle rounds, Davies looked uncomfortable with punches to the body during the middle rounds. The ringside doctor told Round By Round Boxing after the fight that he felt that his ribs had been broken.
Blood flowed from Davie’s nose in the 10th round, and he blew out on it as if it was broken. Vazquez does not have a typical “Mexican style” and is an artful boxer–more Floyd Mayweather than Canelo Alvarez. A fact perhaps lost on the matchmakers.
Speaking of Canelo, this wasn’t the first time Vazquez has found himself on the wrong side of a bad decision he lost. In 2008 Vazquez dropped a disputed decision to Canelo that many at the time felt he won.
