Underdog Zak Chelli outpointed Anthony Sims to take a surprise win, as Tyler Denny defended the English title in a battle with Brad Pauls; Watch Adam Azim vs Santos Reyes live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Arena
Saturday 11 February 2023 23:11, UK
Zak Chelli took an upset win over Los Angeles’ Anthony Sims, winning a unanimous decision after 10 rounds.
There had been no love lost between Zak Chelli and Anthony Sims ahead of the fight. Indeed the last thing Chelli said after they weighed in on Friday was "I hate this man."
They were, however, tentative in the first round, probing for openings.
The man from Fulham rushed himself but got onto the front foot as he reached for Sims.
That allowed Sims to catch him with his left hook. Chelli stuck in his right where he could but, normally an aggressive fighter, he was finding himself getting pegged back.
He did though land a cracking right over the top in the fourth round. Sims had to tie him up to move off and resume his boxing.
Chelli continued to have those sporadic successes with sweeping overarm rights. But in the first half of the bout even as the hits clattered into Sims, the American exhibited little sign of distress.
He didn't however show enough urgency. Sims kept his boxing at a slow pace while Chelli worked the harder of the two.
Growing more confident, Chelli opened up in exchanges in the seventh round. He thumped his gloves together wanting more action. Carelessly though he wandered onto a big left hook. That prompted him to hammer back at Sims with his left hook.
In the eighth round, Sims sensed he hurt Chelli and opened up with a tremendous flurry. Those attacks had the Fulham man in trouble. He tried to swing punches back and then looked to wrap up the American in clinches.
He weathered that storm and fired in his own punches to the head in the next round. Chelli finished the 10th and last round strongly to upset the American, taking the decision 98-92 on two cards and 99-92 in a career-best win.
"It doesn't get any better," Chelli said afterwards. "I'm happy with the victory.
"I like to think I outboxed the boxer."
Tyler Denny defended the English middleweight title with a unanimous points win over previously unbeaten challenger Brad Pauls.
Denny took it 98-93 and 97-93 twice after 10 rounds.
The opening two rounds were tentative as Denny looked for the "Newquay Bomb" with his southpaw jab. The challenger still found heavy shots, clipping Denny with his left hook.
But in the third round, with an explosive burst, a long left from Denny jolted Pauls' head back. The Newquay man had to roll his neck to shake out his shoulders as he returned to his corner after that onslaught.
Denny pressed forward, working inside behind a strong straight one-two. Thudding punches rattled against Pauls' sides as the English champion took charge of the first half of the fight.
Pauls pushed forward behind right crosses and slammed two straight punches into the head. But Denny bored back on to the inside. The action remained frantic as Denny swung hooks in with either hand.
Pauls jumped in with his left hook. But Denny connected with a cracking back-hand hook. He found a rhythm, slamming in a right hook and unleashing a flurry of stern punches.
Pauls connect with a right uppercut, but Denny answered with a left uppercut of his own. The champion looked to grind Pauls down, but did step straight onto a right cross that disrupted him momentarily.
Desperate in the last round Pauls looked to repeat that success with his straight right, but he could not dissuade Denny. Denny slugged him back and a hard lead right cracked flush into Pauls' chin.
The comprehensive victory should position Denny to challenge for the British title next.
