New-look Chantelle Cameron wins title thriller with Elhem Mekhaled

Chantelle Cameron won the WBC interim junior-welterweight title with a thrilling victory over Elhem Mekhaled.

Cameron, competing in her first fight with her new trainer Grant Smith and promoter Queensberry Promotions, produced a dominant display in a fast-paced contest to win via majority decision. 

Mekhaled, moving up from 130 to 140lbs, was well beaten, but she refused to stop swinging, and she was rewarded on one of the judge’s cards, which strangely read 95-95. The other two showed clear 99-92 and 98-92 wins for Cameron.

Cameron came out of the blocks fast and eager to impress, and used her size to overpower her smaller opponent. The 33-year-old regardless did not wilt under her pressure, and fired back, despite the clear difference in power. Smith instructed Cameron, also now 33 years of age, to use her movement more, and the former undisputed champion boxed well, to instructions, in the second and third rounds.

Cameron came out in the fourth to make a statement and seemed to find her range when rocking Mekhaled with a right uppercut. Mekhaled did not shy away, however, and they ended the round with a thrilling exchange. Cameron then largely prioritised boxing, and picked her moments to exchange.

Mekhaled’s best rounds were the eighth and ninth, when she largely outworked Cameron, but the eye-catching, powerful shots continued to come from the former undisputed champion. The tenth and final round in many respects encapsulated the entire fight; both fighters went toe-to-toe for the final two minutes, and were given a huge reception at the final bell.

Ekow Essuman stopped Owen Cooper to win the English welterweight title in an even more thrilling affair. Cooper started well but paid the price for allowing Essuman to unload on the ropes when he was dropped heavily at the end of the sixth round. 

Cooper fought back and put Essuman down with a huge right at the end of the ninth. But the former British champion made an astonishing recovery and finished Cooper with a flurry of heavy punches at 0.23 of the tenth round.

Solomon Dacres defended his English heavyweight title with a stoppage victory over Mark Webster. Their contest started slowly, with both fighters reluctant to commit in their rematch. Dacres, however, dropped Webster in the fifth round, and finished his challenger at 1.10 of the seventh.

Light heavyweight prospect Ezra Taylor recorded a unanimous decision win over the tough Carlos Albeto Lamela. Taylor started strongly, and to the extent it seemed only a matter of time before the stoppage came, but Lamela fought back to go the distance. The scorecards read 99-91 twice and 97-93 to the undefeated Taylor.

Zach Parker produced a convincing performance to stop Jack Arnfield in the fourth round in his second fight at light heavyweight. He dropped Arnfield with a right hook, and followed doing so with another to end the fight at 1.06 of round four.

Shabaz Masoud, boxing up at junior lightweight, outpointed Marvin Solano over eight rounds to warm up for his postponed fight with Liam Davies. An early finish seemed likely when he dropped Solano at the end of the first round, but he instead won via a score of 80-70.

The brother of Davies, Bradley Thompson, outpointed Stephen Jackson via a score of 40-36 over four rounds at super flyweight.