Ohara Davies defeated Tyrone McKenna by a majority decision in the 10-round 140-pound final of The Golden Contract tournament on Wednesday
Ohara Davies gets the contract.
The Londoner defeated Irishman Tyrone McKenna by a majority decision in the 10-round 140-pound final of The Golden Contract tournament on Wednesday night at the Sky Sports Studios in London.
As a result, he wins a contract with MTK Global, a combat sports managerial and promotional firm.
Davies (22-2, 16 KOs) outworked the southpaw McKenna (21-2-1, 6 KOs) and landed the harder punches, although neither fighter was particularly active. One judge had it even. The other two scored it 96-94 for Davies.
Davies has had trouble with left-handers in the past, losing decisions to Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall, but got over the hump with McKenna.
Catterall had won five consecutive fights since losing a close decision to Catterall in 2018.
Also on the card, Serge Michel (11-1, 8 KOs) put Liam Conroy (18-6-1, 9 KOs) down three times and stopped him in the fourth round of a scheduled 10-round light heavyweight semifinal in the tournament.
Ohara Davies defeated Tyrone McKenna by a majority decision in the 10-round 140-pound final of The Golden Contract tournament on Wednesday
Ohara Davies gets the contract.
The Londoner defeated Irishman Tyrone McKenna by a majority decision in the 10-round 140-pound final of The Golden Contract tournament on Wednesday night at the Sky Sports Studios in London.
As a result, he wins a contract with MTK Global, a combat sports managerial and promotional firm.
Davies (22-2, 16 KOs) outworked the southpaw McKenna (21-2-1, 6 KOs) and landed the harder punches, although neither fighter was particularly active. One judge had it even. The other two scored it 96-94 for Davies.
Davies has had trouble with left-handers in the past, losing decisions to Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall, but got over the hump with McKenna.
Catterall had won five consecutive fights since losing a close decision to Catterall in 2018.
Also on the card, Serge Michel (11-1, 8 KOs) put Liam Conroy (18-6-1, 9 KOs) down three times and stopped him in the fourth round of a scheduled 10-round light heavyweight semifinal in the tournament.
Featherweight Jazza Dickens, scheduled to fight Ryan Walsh on Wednesday in London, has tested positive for COVID-19 and is off the card.
The coronavirus has impacted boxing again.
Featherweight contender Jazza Dickens, scheduled to fight Ryan Walsh on Wednesday in London, has tested positive for COVID-19 and is off the card, according to multiple reports. Dickens’ trainer, Derry Mathews, reportedly also tested positive.
Dickens (29-3, 11 KOs) and his team are no longer in the “bubble” at York Hall Leisure Centre, the site of the card.
No other fighters test positive.
The Dickens-Walsh fight was one of two finals of the The Golden Contract tournament. Ohara Davies (21-2, 16 KOs) will face Tyrone McKenna (21-1-1, 6 KOs) in the junior lightweight final as the featured fight now that Dickens-Walsh is off.
Also, Liam Conroy (18-5-1, 9 KOs) will face Serge Michel (10-1, 7 KOs) in a tournament light heavyweight semifinal.
Featherweight Jazza Dickens, scheduled to fight Ryan Walsh on Wednesday in London, has tested positive for COVID-19 and is off the card.
The coronavirus has impacted boxing again.
Featherweight contender Jazza Dickens, scheduled to fight Ryan Walsh on Wednesday in London, has tested positive for COVID-19 and is off the card, according to multiple reports. Dickens’ trainer, Derry Mathews, reportedly also tested positive.
Dickens (29-3, 11 KOs) and his team are no longer in the “bubble” at York Hall Leisure Centre, the site of the card.
No other fighters test positive.
The Dickens-Walsh fight was one of two finals of the The Golden Contract tournament. Ohara Davies (21-2, 16 KOs) will face Tyrone McKenna (21-1-1, 6 KOs) in the junior lightweight final as the featured fight now that Dickens-Walsh is off.
Also, Liam Conroy (18-5-1, 9 KOs) will face Serge Michel (10-1, 7 KOs) in a tournament light heavyweight semifinal.
When: Wednesday, Sept. 30 Where: York Hall, London TV: ESPN+ Division: Junior lightweight At stake: Final of Golden Contract tournament Odds: NA Also on the card (Part I of PPV): Ryan Walsh vs. Jazza Dickens, featherweights (Golden Contract); Liam Conroy vs. Serge Michel, light heavyweights (Golden Contract) Prediction: Davies KO 9 Background: McKenna has been calling out Davies for some time and will finally get his wish in a scheduled 10-round bout. Davies has won three consecutive fights since his high-profile unanimous-decision loss to Jack Catterall in October 2018, including a clear decision over veteran Miguel Vazquez. The 28-year-old Londoner last fought on Feb. 21, stopping Jeff Ofori in six rounds. Davies has only the loss to Catterall following his seventh-round knockout loss to Josh Taylor in July 2017. McKenna has won five straight since his only defeat, also at the hands of Catterall, in June 2018. The 30-year-old Irishman doesn’t have much punching power but loves to please the fans by mixing it up. He has said going into this fight that he will surprise some people with his boxing skills. McKenna is ranked No. 15 by the WBC. The winner of the Davies-McKenna fight will receive a contract with the combat sports management and promotional firm MTK Global.
***
JOSE ZEPEDA (32-2, 25 KOs)
VS. IVAN BARANCHYK (20-1, 13 KOs)
When: Saturday, Oct. 3 Where: MGM Grand, Las Vegas TV: ESPN+ Division: Junior welterweight At stake: Nothing Odds: NA Also on the card: Gabriel Flores Jr. vs. Ryan Kielczweski, lightweights; Kingsley Ibeh vs. Guido Vianello, heavyweights Prediction: Zepeda UD Background: Zepeda and Baranchyk were supposed to have met in July but Baranchyk was injured in sparring and had to pull out. The winner of this battle between the two highly ranked contenders will inch closer to a title shot. Zepeda is a proven commodity, having lost a razor-thin majority decision in a title challenge against Jose Ramirez and defeating now-hot Jose Pedraza by a clear unanimous decision last year. The 31-year-old boxer-puncher from the Los Angeles area is coming off a unanimous-decision victory over Kendo Castaneda inside the MGM Grand “bubble” on July 7. He is ranked No. 2 by the WBC, No. 3 by the WBO. Baranchyk, 27, also is a respected veteran. The Oklahoma-based Russian won the IBF 140-pound title by stopping Anthony Yigit in October 2018 but lost it to Josh Taylor by a unanimous decision in his first defense in May of last year, a fight in which he went down twice. He rebounded by stopping Gabriel Bracero in four rounds last October. He’s ranked No. 4 by the IBF, No. 6 by the WBC.
***
MARK MAGSAYO (20-0, 14 KOs)
VS. RIGOBERTO HERMOSILLO (11-2-1, 8 KOs)
When: Saturday, Oct. 3 Where: Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles TV: FS1 Division: Featherweight At stake: Nothing Odds: NA Also on the card: Paul Kroll vs. Luke Santamaria, welterweights; Angel Barrientes vs. Fernando Ibarra, featherweights; Chavez Barrientes vs. Ivan Varela, featherweights Prediction: Magsayo KO 10 Background: Featherweight contender Mark Magsayo, a skillful boxer-puncher from the Philippines, has climbed the rankings rapidly. The 25-year-old is ranked No. 4 by both the IBF and WBC and No. 13 by the WBA, which means a title shot is on the horizon if he continues to win. He’s coming off a near-shutout decision over veteran Panya Uthok in August of last year in the Philippines. Thus, he will have been out of the ring for more than a year. Hermosillo is a solid boxer with good power. The 28-year-old Mexican southpaw is coming off consecutive losses to Manny Robles III and Viktor Slavinskyi, both by decision. Hermosillo stepped up in class against then-unbeaten Robles and acquitted himself well, losing a split nod. He probably isn’t in Magsayo’s class but isn’t likely to go easily.
***
JOSHUA BUATSI (12-0, 10 KOs)
VS. MARKO CALIC (11-0, 6 KOs)
When: Sunday, Oct. 4 Where: London TV: DAZN Division: Light heavyweight At stake: Nothing Odds: NA Also on the card (Part I of PPV): Chantelle Cameron vs. Adriana Dos Santos Araujo, junior welterweights (for vacant WBC title); Linus Udofia vs. John Harding, Jr., middleweights Prediction: Buatsi KO 5 Background: Buatsi is a talented, hard-punching Ghanaian based in London who is ranked by all four the major sanctioning bodies (No. 3 IBF, No 3 WBA, No. 12 WBC and No. 14 WBO) even though he’s still developing. He’s coming off a seventh-round knockout of Ryan Ford in August of last year, which means he will have been out of the ring for more than a year. The native of Accra has stopped his last seven opponents, including veteran Marco Antonio Periban of Mexico. Calic is unbeaten but hasn’t faced an opponent of Buatsi’s ability. In fact, the 33-year-old Croatian has never fought in a scheduled 10-round bout. He last fought in October of last year, outpointing Serhii Zhuk.
When: Wednesday, Sept. 30 Where: York Hall, London TV: ESPN+ Division: Junior lightweight At stake: Final of Golden Contract tournament Odds: NA Also on the card (Part I of PPV): Ryan Walsh vs. Jazza Dickens, featherweights (Golden Contract); Liam Conroy vs. Serge Michel, light heavyweights (Golden Contract) Prediction: Davies KO 9 Background: McKenna has been calling out Davies for some time and will finally get his wish in a scheduled 10-round bout. Davies has won three consecutive fights since his high-profile unanimous-decision loss to Jack Catterall in October 2018, including a clear decision over veteran Miguel Vazquez. The 28-year-old Londoner last fought on Feb. 21, stopping Jeff Ofori in six rounds. Davies has only the loss to Catterall following his seventh-round knockout loss to Josh Taylor in July 2017. McKenna has won five straight since his only defeat, also at the hands of Catterall, in June 2018. The 30-year-old Irishman doesn’t have much punching power but loves to please the fans by mixing it up. He has said going into this fight that he will surprise some people with his boxing skills. McKenna is ranked No. 15 by the WBC. The winner of the Davies-McKenna fight will receive a contract with the combat sports management and promotional firm MTK Global.
***
JOSE ZEPEDA (32-2, 25 KOs)
VS. IVAN BARANCHYK (20-1, 13 KOs)
When: Saturday, Oct. 3 Where: MGM Grand, Las Vegas TV: ESPN+ Division: Junior welterweight At stake: Nothing Odds: NA Also on the card: Gabriel Flores Jr. vs. Ryan Kielczweski, lightweights; Kingsley Ibeh vs. Guido Vianello, heavyweights Prediction: Zepeda UD Background: Zepeda and Baranchyk were supposed to have met in July but Baranchyk was injured in sparring and had to pull out. The winner of this battle between the two highly ranked contenders will inch closer to a title shot. Zepeda is a proven commodity, having lost a razor-thin majority decision in a title challenge against Jose Ramirez and defeating now-hot Jose Pedraza by a clear unanimous decision last year. The 31-year-old boxer-puncher from the Los Angeles area is coming off a unanimous-decision victory over Kendo Castaneda inside the MGM Grand “bubble” on July 7. He is ranked No. 2 by the WBC, No. 3 by the WBO. Baranchyk, 27, also is a respected veteran. The Oklahoma-based Russian won the IBF 140-pound title by stopping Anthony Yigit in October 2018 but lost it to Josh Taylor by a unanimous decision in his first defense in May of last year, a fight in which he went down twice. He rebounded by stopping Gabriel Bracero in four rounds last October. He’s ranked No. 4 by the IBF, No. 6 by the WBC.
***
MARK MAGSAYO (20-0, 14 KOs)
VS. RIGOBERTO HERMOSILLO (11-2-1, 8 KOs)
When: Saturday, Oct. 3 Where: Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles TV: FS1 Division: Featherweight At stake: Nothing Odds: NA Also on the card: Paul Kroll vs. Luke Santamaria, welterweights; Angel Barrientes vs. Fernando Ibarra, featherweights; Chavez Barrientes vs. Ivan Varela, featherweights Prediction: Magsayo KO 10 Background: Featherweight contender Mark Magsayo, a skillful boxer-puncher from the Philippines, has climbed the rankings rapidly. The 25-year-old is ranked No. 4 by both the IBF and WBC and No. 13 by the WBA, which means a title shot is on the horizon if he continues to win. He’s coming off a near-shutout decision over veteran Panya Uthok in August of last year in the Philippines. Thus, he will have been out of the ring for more than a year. Hermosillo is a solid boxer with good power. The 28-year-old Mexican southpaw is coming off consecutive losses to Manny Robles III and Viktor Slavinskyi, both by decision. Hermosillo stepped up in class against then-unbeaten Robles and acquitted himself well, losing a split nod. He probably isn’t in Magsayo’s class but isn’t likely to go easily.
***
JOSHUA BUATSI (12-0, 10 KOs)
VS. MARKO CALIC (11-0, 6 KOs)
When: Sunday, Oct. 4 Where: London TV: DAZN Division: Light heavyweight At stake: Nothing Odds: NA Also on the card (Part I of PPV): Chantelle Cameron vs. Adriana Dos Santos Araujo, junior welterweights (for vacant WBC title); Linus Udofia vs. John Harding, Jr., middleweights Prediction: Buatsi KO 5 Background: Buatsi is a talented, hard-punching Ghanaian based in London who is ranked by all four the major sanctioning bodies (No. 3 IBF, No 3 WBA, No. 12 WBC and No. 14 WBO) even though he’s still developing. He’s coming off a seventh-round knockout of Ryan Ford in August of last year, which means he will have been out of the ring for more than a year. The native of Accra has stopped his last seven opponents, including veteran Marco Antonio Periban of Mexico. Calic is unbeaten but hasn’t faced an opponent of Buatsi’s ability. In fact, the 33-year-old Croatian has never fought in a scheduled 10-round bout. He last fought in October of last year, outpointing Serhii Zhuk.
