Jack Catterall vs Jarkko Putkonen
Jarkko Putkonen may have made the flight to London with an impressive unbeaten record, but the Finnish fighter proved no match for Jack Catterall, who turned in a Unanimous Decision on scores of 100-90 (thrice).
Catterall himself looked somewhat underwhelming for the first 6 rounds until he began to start going through the gears, mixing in combinations and pressing the action more. Well, a bit more, anyway. It was a dominating performance, just not a fan-friendly fight for this Flanagan vs Magdaleno card.
Catterall now chalks up another win, taking his record to 14-0, 8 KO, while Putkonen returns home with 12-1, 6 KO.
Luke Blackledge vs Lee Markham
In a neck-and-neck Super Middleweight battle, Luke Blackledge managed to keep hold of his Commonwealth title. Official scores came in at 116-114, 116-113 and 115-114, which is really testament to how close this 12-rounder was.
Blackledge vs Markham wasn’t explosive. It wasn’t action-packed. But it did contain plenty of punches in what could be described as a mini-telephone-booth-style encounter. Both men enjoyed success down the stretch, and deserve praise for a hard-fought contest. Will Blackledge find success against top European talent and beyond? Right now, it would seem unlikely. We’ll soon find out in the near future.
Blackledge now moves to 20-2-2, 6 KO, while Markham drops to 14-3-1, 7 KO.
Adrien Gonzalez vs John Kays
Adrien Gonzalez proved far too much for John Kays in their Lightweight showdown. Kays found some success in the 3rd round, but was ultimately outclassed in the short-lived encounter. Gonzalez knocked down Kays with a right-hook to the ear at the close of the 1st round, and dropped his man with the same shot in the 2nd.
After Gonzalez landed a long crunching right-uppercut in the 4th, it violently marked the beginning of the end. Kays bravely beat the count but was immediately dropped for the final time before the referee put a halt to the contest.
Gonzalez now jumps up to 12-1, 4 KO, while Kays falls to 21-5-1, 5 KO.
Thomas Stalker vs Craig Evans
Thomas Stalker and Craig Evans fought to a Draw on the Flanagan vs Magdaleno support, following scores of 97-93, 94-96, and 95-95. Even though there were a fair few close rounds in the early stages of the 10-rounder, the official result was controversial. Both men fought their hearts out in the Lightweight contest, delivering some memorable blows along the way. Hats off, fellas.
After Evans openly admitted that his opponent “pinched it”, you really know Stalker was deprived of a solid win. In fact, that’s the first time I’ve heard a fighter say their opponent was better. Anyway, from a boxing spectator’s point of view, they got their money’s worth in this encounter.
Stalker’s record now stands at 10-1-2, 2 KO, and Evans’ 14-1-1, 3 KO. The vacant European title will remain so for now.
