Linardatou vs Taylor: Felix Cash stops Jack Cullen to retain title
Saturday 2 November 2019 23:36, UK
Felix Cash stopped Jack Cullen to successfully defend his Commonwealth middleweight title at the Manchester Arena.
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Cash forced an eighth-round stoppage to settle a thrilling toe-to-toe battle on the undercard of Katie Taylor's headline clash with Christina Linardatou.
The champion unleashed a barrage of blows and dropped Cullen in an explosive opener but the challenger weathered the storm and finished the round strongly.
The pair continued trading heavy blows in the second, with Cullen opting to fight at close range despite his superior height and reach advantage.
Cash tested Cullen's chin in the third with a huge right hand and produced the more accurate work in the fourth.
Cullen tightened his guard in the fifth and tried to utilise his jab but Cash continued to land the heavier blows
The undefeated Wokingham fighter dropped Cullen in the seventh with a series of clubbing blows but the Bolton boxer survived to hear the bell.
Cullen responded to his second knockdown by coming out for the eighth on the front foot but Cash landed a series of unanswered punches to force the referee to jump in and call a halt.
Terri Harper defeated Viviane Obenauf on points in a successful first defence of her IBO super-featherweight title.
Harper, celebrating her 23rd birthday, produced a polished performance to claim a unanimous decision over Obenauf and keep on course for a showdown with WBC champion Eva Wahlstrom early next year.
The Yorkshire fighter took control from the first round with her superior movement and hurt Obenauf in the second with a stiff left jab before targeting the head with right hands.
Harper continued to dominate with her accuracy and variety of shots but Obenauf battled back in sixth round and landed a right hand of her own.
Obenauf, who stopped Natasha Jonas on her last visit to the UK, was left with a swollen left eye after an accidental clash of heads in the seventh but the Brazilian bravely battled on.
The Switzerland-based 33-year-old came out swinging in the 10th and final round in a bid to snatch victory with a stoppage but Harper secured victory via scores of 99-91, 99-92 and 97-93.
Heavyweight prospect Martin Bakole defeated Rodney Hernandez inside two rounds to claim his second stoppage win in the space of a fortnight.
Bakole, who knocked out Kevin Johnson at the Newcastle Arena last month, was backed up by Hernandez in the opener as the Californian came out swinging wildly.
However, the Airdrie-based Bakole switched tables in the third, whipping in hurtful hooks to the body and head, to drop Hernandez and prompt the referee to call a halt.
"To stop two American guys in a few weeks is amazing for me," the Congo heavyweight told Sky Sports afterwards.
"My corner told me this guy will give me a hard time, but I knew he would not be able to take my power.
"I'm looking forward to next year."
Qais Ashfaq won the vacant WBA continental super-bantamweight title on points after his fight with Joe Ham was stopped prematurely.
The Leeds southpaw impressed during a 69-64, 70-64, 70-63 victory after Glaswegian Ham, who was dropped in the third round, sustained a cut during an accidental clash of heads in the seventh.
Dalton Smith continued his winning start as a professional with a stoppage win over Michael Issac Carrero.
The former amateur star from Sheffield took his record to four straight victories, with his third win inside the distance, after dropping the Spain-based Nicaraguan in the third round.
