Shabaz Masoud stops Jack Bateson
Shabaz Masoud stopped Jack Bateson in the final round of their brilliant all-British clash and then declared: "I am at world level".
The Maverick floored his rival from Leeds early in the 12th session in Sheffield tonight before he forced referee Howard Foster to step in and stop the contest at 2:00.
Masoud and Bateson had agreed to meet in one of the most anticipated domestic clashes of the year, with the unbeaten prospects winning acclaim for putting their unblemished records on the line at Probellum Sheffield.
And the fight delivered on the hype with Masoud and Bateson producing an enthralling contest that remained in the balance as it moved into the final three minutes.
But it was Stoke’s Masoud who scored a significant breakthrough early in the round before closing the show soon after.
The win nets Masoud Bateson’s WBA Intercontinental title and also puts him in line to fight for the British super bantamweight belt.
Masoud said: "I have been working years for this, there have been struggle but this is just the start.
"I believe I am world level, Jack is world level too, but this fight was called at the right time.
“There is more to come from me and whatever my team say is next, we will go for. But I will beat the lot of them."
Hebert Conceição marked his UK debut with a shut-out points victory over Gideon Onyenani.
The 2020 Olympic middleweight champion delivered a classy performance, in keeping with his top-level billing, to win 60-54 on the referee’s card and extend his perfect start to life in the professional ranks to 3-0.
Brazilian hero Conceição said: “I am so happy to have boxed here in the UK and I am so happy I got the victory."
“There were few times when I thought I might be able to stop Onyenani but I promise that my next performance will be better."
Marcel Braithwaite got the better of Thomas Essomba over 12 tense rounds.
The Liverpool man was given the nod by two of the ringside judges – with scores of 117-11 and 116-114 – while one official ruled that Essomba had done enough, to the score of 116-113.
Braithwaite’s split decision win would have seen him become the mandatory challenger for the British super flyweight title but his failure to make weight, on Thursday, means that was no longer on the table.
Undercard Results:
Levi Kinsiona 76-77 Alin Florin Ciorceri
Ishamel Davis WTKO5 Dustin Ammann
Nicolie Campbell 60-54 Frane Radnic
