Hosea Burton comes back in dominant fashion
Former British light-heavyweight champion Hosea Burton returned to action in dominant style after picking up a one-sided victory at #MTKFightNight’s event at the University of Bolton Stadium.
Burton (24-1 11 KOs) defeated experienced Edgars Sniedze on points after displaying some elite boxing skills throughout the six rounds, reminding the rest of the 175lb division just what he is capable of.
There were plenty of impressive wins on a big undercard, with Ross Cooksey (6-0, 1 KO), defeating Ricky Leach, while 2018 Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist Lisa Whiteside (1-0) successfully won her second professional fight, defeating Claudia Ferenczi.
Unbeaten Macaulay McGowan (12-0-1, 2 KOs) won on his comeback, beating Paul Allison in his first fight in nearly two years, while there were also wins for Mike McGoldrick and Amin Jahanzeb (4-0).
Here’s all you need to know from a packed night of action:
HOSEA BURTON bt Edgars Sniedze PTS6
Burton: “I’ve been out for a long time and I showed a bit of ring rust, but it was a good six rounds. It’s always good to get the rounds under your belt. I’d have liked to have knocked him out but I can’t argue with a good six rounds.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve fought someone as tall as myself, so he was a bit of an awkward opponent. It’s about staying active now. I’d fight next weekend and the week after if I could, because you only get better with having a lot of fights.”
ROSS COOKSEY bt Ricky Leach PTS4
Cooksey: “We’ve been working on a lot of boxing and moving since linking up with Johnney Roye in March and I’d like to think we showed that in the fight. We displayed the art of boxing: hit and not get hit.
“I was glad to get this one out of the way. I’ve had a bad hand for the last few weeks so haven’t sparred much, and I’d say I was around 70% tonight, so I’m looking forward to getting back in the ring soon when I’m 100%.”
LISA WHITESIDE bt Claudia Ferenczi PTS6
Whiteside: “I wanted the stoppage but I knew my opponent was tough. She’s had a lot of fights and hasn’t been stopped very often. I thought I had her in the third round but she managed to grab hold and save herself.
“It was a good fight and a good six rounds, but I knew I won comfortably. I enjoyed it out there and I’m still getting used to being a professional. It was amazing to have all of my friends and family here for the fight too after so many amateur fights overseas.
MACAULAY MCGOWAN bt Paul Allison PTS4
McGowan: “It’s great to be back. I’ve come back after nearly two years out and fight an opponent like that just shows what I’m hoping to achieve in boxing. I learned a lot from that fight and we’ve set the bar high.
“I don’t know where the time has gone. It’s been crazy. I went to see my trainer in October when I had a lot of weight to lose and he said to me ‘wow you won’t be boxing for a while,’ but we’ve worked hard and it’s all come to this, so I’m delighted.
MIKE MCGOLDRICK bt Gianni Antoh PTS4
McGoldrick: “I was really pleased with the win and felt like I produced a good performance. I was trying to work inside and show a bit of everything in my game, but he was a strong opponent.
“I’m 4-0 now after that win and hopefully now we can move onto six rounds. I felt fine out there over the four rounds and felt like I would be fine going even longer, so that has given me some confidence to build on moving forward.”
CHRIS OGBONSON bt Alec Bazza PTS4
Ogbonson: “I was happy with the win. It was my first fight without Oliver Harrison in my corner and he meant so much to me. It was great to have Martin Murray and Jamie Moore here to support me, and they really helped me.
“Hopefully I can build on this victory and kick on now. I’m going from strength to strength in my career so far and now I want to build on the momentum and continue the winning streak.”
AMIN JAHANZEB bt Jake Pollard PTS4
Jahanzeb: “He was a tricky opponent. I wanted to get him out of there early, but I haven’t fought in eight months so it was good to get the rounds in and get back to doing what I do best.
“I want to stay active now. I’m hoping to fight every two months. I want to thank my fans for coming down because I had a lot make the journey over to come and see me. Now I’ll get a few more fights under my belt and then we’ll kick on from there."
#MTKFightNight returns on Saturday with a historic bill in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, featuring local hero Zhankosh Turarov take on Mauro Godoy for the WBO Inter-Continental title, plus there is a WBC world bantamweight title fight between Nordine Oubaali and Arthur Villanueva.
Lightweight Viktor Kotochigov is up against tough Mexican Jairo Lopez with the WBC International crown on the line, David Oliver Joyce fights Breilor Teran, while some of the best Kazakh talent are also on the card, including Sultan Zaurbek, Ali Baloyev, Nurtas Azhbenov, Abay Tolesh and Abilkhaiyr Shegaliyev.
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