Tommy Martin impresses, while new boys make winning starts
Sunday 1 February 2015 04:14, UK
John Wayne Hibbert and John Ryder earned stoppage wins over Tyler Goodjohn and Billi Godoy on the Kevin Mitchell undercard at the O2.
WBC International light-welterweight title holder Hibbert put Goodjohn down early on, had him in trouble time and time again but was also put under pressure by a brave challenger.
The defining moment came in the second when Hibbert squeezed through with a flurry of punches and immediately there was blood gushing from a nasty cut above Goodjohn's left eye.
Hibbert, who had said he would finish the fight inside eight rounds then went for the knockout in the third and floored Goodjohn with a right.
It was never enough to keep him and down and the action then went to and fro, although the hardest task was stopping the cut widening. Hibbert opened up more and more and Goodjohn’s vision clearly got worse.
With a swollen and bloodied face Goodjohn relentlessly moved forwards, often grinning as he absorbed Hibbert's shots, but his pressurising style was only serving to damage himself.
The referee eventually stepped in after eight rounds with Goodjohn smiling at his own refusal to go down. The pair, who exchanged heated words prior to their bout, embraced at the end.
John Ryder produced an explosive knockout punch to put an end to a grim battle with late call-up Billi Godoy.
The middleweight landed a stunning short left hook to the chin early in the 10th round and although the Argentine made it up at nine, he was far from stable and rightly saved by the referee.
It was though the only moment of excitement in a fight that was supposed to shunt Ryder up the WBO middleweight rankings and also put on a show to suggest to the likes of Chris Eubank Jnr, Billy Joe Saunders and even world champion Andy Lee that he is on their case.
Godoy was a late call-up and was expected to come for the win but from the first bell managed to stifle, frustrate and at times, bemuse the local hero. Ryder was clearing well ahead on the cards but at least finished in fantastic style to move to 21-1, 12 of his wins by knockout..
Tommy Martin was crowned the new English light-welterweight champion after out-pointing Ricky Boylan in a cracking 10-round opener.
The unbeaten St Neot’s man persevered on all three scorecards for a convincing 97-93, 97-93, 99-92 win and made it 11 wins out of 11, despite what he fears was a broken hand.
Martin made the faster start but was soon under pressure from Jamie Moore’s man Boylan until the closing quarter when he found a second wind, and proved too fast and too sharp.
Martin did much of his best work at range and as the fight progressed was able to increasingly keep his distance from Boylan whose advantage came in close-quarters.
Former two-time ABA champion Charlie Edwards made his professional debut in fine fashion. The lightweight stopped Craig Derbyshire in the fourth and final round.
Another man who marked his debut with a win was highly-rated cruiserweight Isaac Chamberlain, who beat Moses Matovu on points.
