A tense atmosphere filled the Salle des Etoiles in Monte Carlo as Shabaz Masoud and Peter McGrail stepped in for a high-stakes super bantamweight clash.
Shabaz Masoud came away with a unanimous decision win over Peter McGrail to claim the EBU title after twelve complicated and often scrappy rounds. McGrail controlled the early part of the fight, using his southpaw timing to dictate the first four rounds. Masoud made important adjustments in the fifth and sixth, establishing his jab and finding a rhythm that began to slow McGrail down. Both traded close rounds through the middle of the fight, with Masoud’s body work and uppercuts becoming a key factor. A point deduction against McGrail in the tenth shifted the scorecards, and Masoud spent the final rounds clinching and managing the clock as McGrail pushed forward. Scores were 116-111, 115-112, and 114-113.
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Conah Walker produced a dramatic comeback stoppage over Pat McCormack in the twelfth round to win the vacant IBF Inter-Continental welterweight title. McCormack boxed well early, countering Walker and building a lead through the first half. Walker gradually increased pressure, opening a cut over McCormack’s left eye in the seventh and landing heavier shots in the later rounds. When the final round began, McCormack was still ahead on the cards, but Walker surged forward, unleashing a furious attack that drove McCormack through the ropes. Unable to beat the count, McCormack was stopped at 2:16 of the final round.
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In the chief support, Elif Nur Turhan stunned Beatriz Ferreira with a fifth-round stoppage to claim victory in their ten-round super bantamweight matchup. Turhan nearly scored a knockdown early with a right uppercut and dropped Ferreira moments later for an official count. Ferreira battled back through the middle rounds but struggled to slow Turhan’s forward momentum. In round five, a heavy barrage left Ferreira unable to defend herself, forcing the referee to wave the fight off at 1:08.
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Sean McComb dominated Hugo Micallef to earn an eighth-round stoppage in their super lightweight contest. McComb’s straight left hand repeatedly broke through in the opening rounds, and he dropped Micallef in the third with a clean counter. As the fight progressed, McComb added body shots and drew blood from Micallef’s nose, scoring another knockdown in the sixth. A final left hand in the eighth sent Micallef to the canvas for the third time, prompting the referee to end the fight at 2:35.
Johnny Fisher returned to winning form with a fourth-round stoppage of Ivan Balaz after a wild opening few rounds. Fisher started aggressively but was rocked badly near the end of the first, forced to hold on as Balaz pressed forward. After a low blow pause in round two, Fisher regrouped and took control in the third. In round four, the momentum fully shifted as Fisher scored three knockdowns with heavy hooks, ending the fight at 1:19.
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Image Credit: The Ring