WATERFORD – The Kilkenny junior welterweight Brandon McCarthy, who fights out of Los Angeles, won a 60-54 decision over Argentinian southpaw Sebastian Chavez at the SETU Arena.
After an untidy opener, McCarthy started to find some gaps in the second and he enjoyed a spell with Chavez trapped on the ropes in a neutral corner, working away with both hands to the body. The pattern of the fight was set, but Chavez knows his way around the ring. He bled from a wound by his left eye from the third round but never looked in danger and McCarthy, now 4-0 (1 KOs), moves on. Chavez is 6-10 (2 KOs).
No one seemed to know quite what happened when Garan Croft, from Wales, “stopped” Ermin Sali in 15 seconds.
Sali was short and squat while Croft towered over him and the Welshman landed an early right and, as he went to land it again, Sali hit the deck. On his back, Sali then jumped up but the referee Paul McCullough waved the contest off. Sali complained long and hard – right the way through the official announcement, indicating he was fine and maybe that he had slipped, but to say it was a curious ending is an understatement.
Croatia’s Sali is now 1-4 (1 KO). Croft is now underway as a pro.
The referee indicated he saw Sali shaking when he was on the floor and he wanted to get the medic in straight away. Sali contended he was okay to continue, but McCullough was certain he had made the right call.
The well-supported Welsh middleweight Ioan Croft, Garan’s brother and a Commonwealth gold medallist, opened his professional account with a dominant first-round win over Poland’s Bartosz Glowacki.
Glowacki, a southpaw like Croft, was seemingly hurt early and complained about shots to the back of the head but Croft showed no mercy, jabbing strongly and firing in repeated left hands. Glowacki’s face was reddening early on, and then Croft started working his body.
Croft, with the former lightweight champion Anthony Crolla in his corner, landed a chopping right hook that had Glowacki woozy, and there was a spell when Croft smothered his own work but, as Croft broke through with another right hook, Glowacki stopped firing back and the referee intervened after 2:55. Glowacki falls to 7-16-1 (5 KOs).
Read the full article here
