LIVERPOOL – Lee Cutler defeated Stephen McKenna by majority decision on the undercard of Natasha Jonas vs. Ivana Habazin in Liverpool, England after 10 thrilling rounds.
Cutler upset the odds and dropped McKenna twice on his way to the win of his career to date.
Cutler, now 15-1 (7 KOs), started the contest the better of the two, slipping inside the straight shots from McKenna and countering well. McKenna started to grow in confidence as the round went on but Cutler put an end to that by forcing the Irishman to touch down with a right hand.
McKenna, now 15-1 (14 KOs), came out for the second with more aggression, seemingly annoyed at himself for the previous session’s performance. Cutler met him head on and kept in close, exchanging with McKenna and landing the more notable shots.
McKenna seemed to find his range at the start of the third, using his straight shots to keep Cutler at bay before pivoting off. It was, however, Cutler who finished the round strong by again using his movement to slip inside and deliver a left hook counter.
The fourth was scrappy, with both men sitting in the pocket and exchanging hooks to the head and body. McKenna saw the better of the action, but Cutler seemed to take the shots well.
McKenna continued his pressure in the fifth, landing the cleaner work. The Bournemouth man seemed to be wilting from McKenna’s pressure in the fifth, but he answered the cries of his stablemates at McGuigan’s Gym from ringside and finished the round well.
Cutler came out for the seventh with more confidence after his success at the end of the previous round. He pressed McKenna and it seemed as though the Irishman was starting to tire. The exhausted McKenna walked on to a huge overhand right from Cutler and slumped to the floor. He returned to his feet before being pushed around the ring by Cutler until the sound of the bell.
McKenna dug in during the eighth, visibly tired but throwing everything he had to stop Cutler from overpowering him. The ninth followed a similar pattern with McKenna again trying hard but the fresher Cutler landing heavy shots.
Both fighters came out for the 10th with the intent of finishing impressively. McKenna, still visibly tired, and Cutler met head-on and threw heavy shots until the final bell. Both men lifted their arms aloft but it was Cutler who was awarded a well-deserved majority decision victory with the cards reading 94-94, 95-93 and 96-92.
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