Victories for Cameron Vuong, Chris Kongo and Aadam Hamed in London

The highly regarded Cameron Vuong likely impressed the onlooking Turki Alalshikh with a typically flashy display atop a quirky three-fight show that followed the Daniel Dubois-Anthony Joshua public workouts in London.

In Beeston, England’s Joe Underwood Hughes encountered a foe who had not come to roll over. Hughes survived an early onslaught, lead right hands launched from audacious angles finding the target, before having a better second round as he pushed Vuong back, even landing the odd jab.

But Vuong (6-0, 3 KOs) upped the pace in the third. More rights thudded through Hughes’ high guard and, by the fourth, Vuong was planting his feet and firing both hands with bad intentions. Hughes was bleeding from a wound above the left eye when more blood started to seep from his nose after a straight right clattered home.

Hughes is known for his courage and, as the fifth began, he tried to reset. By now, however, Vuong had invited his left uppercut to the bludgeoning, and the prospect, who would step back then spring forward with both hands firing, seemed on the brink of a stoppage win.

Hughes had a better sixth. At times, he tried to go punch for punch with Vuong, and he landed a good left hook before being countered by a better right. Then he had an even better seventh as Vuong seemed to tire.

The 22-year-old Vuong endured a tricky beginning to the eighth, but he was still in control and finished with a flourish, drilling Hughes (8-4, 1 KO) in the final seconds with both hands.

“I would have loved to get him out of there, but it wasn’t to be,” said Vuong. “I get another eight rounds, and the education continues.”

Sheffield-born “Prince” Aadam Hamed cruised to 3-0 (1 KO) as his father and former world featherweight champion Naseem Hamed watched from ringside. Santiago Garces (4-33-5, 2 KOs), a Colombian based in Southampton, England, was tasked with the role of opponent, one who was not supposed to win nor collapse too quickly, and he played it well. After four rounds, Hamed won by a 40-36 score.

Southpaw Hamed opened with a long, spearing jab and made the most of his obvious height and reach advantages from the get-go. There were flashes of his father in Hamed’s work – the rapid hands and the showboating feet – but there are certainly enough rough edges to keep his coach Jamie Moore busy.

Garces walked into a left hand towards the end of the opening session, the effect of the punch causing him to stagger. Hamed was perhaps guilty of telegraphing his intentions at times, and though his jab was slick and sharp when he chose to deploy it, he then struggled to judge the distance of his trailing left.

These are early days, however. Hamed, who took this fight on six days’ notice, has little in the way of amateur seasoning and is learning on the job while in the spotlight. He finished strongly, scoring with a sharp one-two and varying his attack downstairs before unleashing some flashy moves before the final bell.

“Big up, my pops,” Hamed said, “I hope I can be half as good as he was one day.”

London’s Chris Kongo (16-2, 7 KOs) was taken the full six by Huddersfield southpaw Jacob Quinn (8-5-1). Kongo was rumored to have been under consideration to step in to face Josh Kelly on Saturday night when Liam Smith was forced to withdraw and didn’t quite have things all his own way. At the end, it was scored 59-55 for Kongo.

While weighing a career-high 157 pounds, Kongo – who trains alongside Anthony Joshua – boxed with authority but was never really forced out of his comfort zone, despite the southpaw Quinn’s best efforts.

Kongo scored with a wicked left hook in the second round, a blow that momentarily wobbled Quinn and was likely the best of the fight. Quinn responded in the third, a left to the body that got Kongo’s attention if not his complete respect.

The pace remained relatively brisk until the end, even if the result was never in doubt.