Brook vs Spence Jr: Anthony Fowler, Lawrence Okolie, Joe Cordina remain unbeaten
Sunday 28 May 2017 01:54, UK
Olympic trio Joe Cordina, Anthony Fowler and Lawrence Okolie earned first-round wins at Bramall Lane on Saturday to remain unbeaten as professionals.
Wales' Cordina dished out enough punishment inside three minutes to force opponent Josh Thorne to withdraw in his corner. Cordina, now 3-0 as a pro, was earlier scolded by the referee for punching on the break.
Fowler's professional debut was a success, although he escaped without punishment after punching Arturs Geikins when he was already down.
Liverpool's Fowler, winner of a gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, knocked down his opponent within moments before being reprimanded for an extra punch. The fight still ended inside a round when Fowler put Geikins down again.
"I thought he was crouching down [with the early knockdown] but he was actually down," Fowler said. "I can't be more than apologetic to the referee and my opponent - I was over-eager."
Okolie also won inside a round to extend his pro record to 3-0. The London cruiserweight had Rudolf Helesic on the floor twice inside the first three minutes, although he also absorbed a notable shot himself.
