Lewis Edmondson edges Dan Azeez to win British title

Lewis Edmondson shocked Dan Azeez to win the British and Commonwealth light heavyweight titles at the Copper Box Arena in London, England.

The matchup between Edmondson, now 10-0 (3 KOs), and Azeez, now 20-2-1 (13 KOs), failed to catch fire but Edmondson did just enough to edge Azeez to win a majority decision.

The first round was cagey; Azeez, 35, stalked Edmondson, but neither landed anything of note. Azeez continued his hunt for his opponent, but the taller Edmondson, 28, was able to keep the former British champion at bay with his jab. 

The third and fourth followed a similar pattern, with Azeez struggling to cut off the ring and close the gap on Edmondson. Regardless, neither was landing anything substantial, and the fight had failed to ignite.

Azeez turned up the heat in the sixth, determined not to let his old belt slip out of his hands. He pinned Edmondson up against the ropes and delivered shots to the head and body. Edmondson returned fire in the seventh, but Azeez was growing in confidence, and it seemed as though he had finally worked Edmondson out. 

In the eighth, Edmondson got frustrated and pushed the head of Azeez down and delivered a body shot after the break, with the referee taking a point. The ninth was Azeez’s best round of the fight; he started to break down the tiring Edmondson and his body work looked as though it was having an effect.

In the tenth, the fight seemed to finally catch fire as the pair stood center ring and hammered away at each other. Edmondson looked as though he was tiring in the 11th but this only spurred Azeez on. Edmondson, however, came back well in the 12th and at the sound of the bell both men raised their arms.

It was not a British title classic but it had certainly been a competitive affair. Neither man were confident that they had done enough and the judges’ scorecards reflected that. Edmondson was awarded a majority decision with the cards reading 114-114, 114-113 and 115-112.