Lloyd Ellett stuns Gergo Vari
Lloyd Ellett moved up to 16(4)-0-0 last night with a thrilling third round knockout of Gergo Vari 14(3)-7(5)-1 and was crowned the new International Masters light-middleweight champion in the process.
The undefeated Brighton boxer wore a Michael Jackson mask and entered the ring to the sound of Thriller at the Metropole Hotel in his home town. It proved the perfect theme as Gergo Vari was rocked with a stunning right hand in the first and then stopped 22 seconds into the third round by a second devilish right hand on the Friday Fright Night show.
Albion fan Ellett dominated the first round and chased his Hungarian opponent around the ring, backing him into corners and loading up with body shots against his taller opponent. But it was a right hand straight down the pipe which gave a glimpse of what was to come.
A clash of heads flustered Vari in the second round and he charged forward on the attack only to be decked by another right hand. Vari took the count and then survived a series of attacks for the remainder of the round as Ellett sensed an early finish. The third round was only 22 seconds old when Ellett produced an almost carbon-copy feint to the left and straight right which again sent Vari to the canvas and he was unable to come back from that one.
Ellett, the British Masters and International masters bronze champion, said: "It feels great, more so because it was such a good finish to the fight."
He added: "I started fast because he is tall and you cannot allow him to get into a rhythm. "I was feinting and using the jab but not rushing. I started fast but I did not go like a lunatic and picked my shots. "There was a lot of power in my shots. He was tall so you have to break the body."
Ellett, who moved to 16 wins as a professional, insisted the power was nothing new. And nothing to do with going to Las Vegas for sparring earlier this year. He said: "It's not going to Vegas that has brought the power on. A lot of people have said that but the power has always been there."
On his fans, Ellett beamed, "Thank you so much to everyone for their support last night!! The place was rocking!! Huge thank you to my team iBox Gym, Scott Welch & Crusader Events, my sponsors Jason Gargan @KSD & Frank Ashbee and Lewis Yorke-Johnson @TheShoreGroup!! But most importantly thank you to everyone that came out and supported me you made it an unbelievable night!!"