Jordan Gill Stops Conlan; Crocker and Agyarko Win Via Decision
In a fight that was a must-win situation for both fighters junior lightweight, Jordan “The Thrill” Gill (29-2-1, 9KO) got the biggest career victory by stopping Michael Conlan (18-3, 9KO).
It was fireworks early as Gill came out on fire and jumped on Conlan with hard shots. In round two, he landed a short compact left hook that dropped the Irishman.
As the fight continued, Conlan switched to southpaw and was having success with the straight left hand. He took control of the fight with combination punches and hard body shots.
However, Gill’s determination continued to press forward with intelligent pressure landing uppercuts and the straight right hands.
In the seventh round, The Thrill went into attack mode and pinned Conlan in the corner before unloading a barrage of shots that forced the referee to stop the fight.
With back-to-back stoppages, Conlan may need to call it a career.
Gill, competing in a new division, looked strong and fought like a Tasmanian devil. With a new outlook, he and promoter Eddie Hearn are looking at a possible title fight sometime in 2024.
LEWIS CROCKER EASILY DEFEATS TYRONE MCKENNA
In a good domestic level welterweight battle, Lewis “The Croc” Crocker (17-0, 10) dominated Tyrone “The Mighty Celt” McKenna (23-4-1, 6KO) with ease.
This fight was almost over in the first round as Crocker punished McKenna with hard shots that had him on wobbly legs. For the rest of the early rounds, it was the fast combinations and hard body shots that gave “The Croc” an early commanding lead.
The Mighty Celt was not done and came roaring back in the second half with body shots. He did a good job of fighting in the pocket, staying off the ropes, and landing right hands.
Down the stretch, Crocker kicked it into another gear and attacked with vicious combinations. He pushed the pace behind a hard jab off the front foot before landing rapidfire punches that halted McKenna’s momentum.
The judges scored it 100-90, 100-90, and 98-92 in favor of Crocker. It was a good win over a solid veteran but it’s time to look towards fights within the top 15.
CAOIMHIN AGYARKO EDGES TROY WILLIAMSON VIA SPLIT DECISION
In a super middleweight minor title showdown, Caoimhin “Black Thunder” Agyarko (14-0, 7KO) remained undefeated against Troy Williamson (20-2-1, 14KO).
Agyarko made the fight look simple by using the best punch in boxing – the jab. He constantly hit Williamson with the jab, straight right-hand combination the entire fight. In addition, his footwork and defense were on point. He moved out of the way and left his opponent swinging in the air.
Williamson tried to make a comeback by applying pressure, finding a home for uppercuts and the occasional right hands in the middle rounds.
Black Thunder made the adjustments to regain control of the fight. In the final round, he punctuated the fight by landing a hard four-punch combination that had Williamson hurt until the final bell.
In the end, one judge had it 96-94 for Williamson, overruled by the other two judges’ scores of 98-92, and 97-93 for Agyarko.
This was a good step up in competition for the newly crowned WBA Continental title holder. At this point, he must continue to push for fights against stiffer opponents because there is no going backward now.
