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Fight Camp Week 2 Results
10 x 2 mins WBC and IBO Super-Featherweight World Titles
TERRI HARPER v NATASHA JONAS SD10 (96-94 Harper, 96-95
Jonas, 95-95)
(Denaby) (Liverpool)
Terri Harper retained her WBC and IBO Super-Featherweight
World Titles with a thrilling split decision draw against
Natasha Jonas in a historic main event at Matchroom Fight
Camp.
It was the first time that two British women had competed
against each other for a Word Title, and the all-action
fight more than lived up to the occasion.
In a battle that showed women's boxing at its finest,
Liverpool's Jonas suffered a nasty cut early on but quickly
found her composure and began to trouble Harper.
'Miss GB' hurt 23-year-old Harper in the eighth round with a
left-right combination and looked on the brink of winning a
first World Title at the age of 36.
At the end of a thrilling back and forth contest, the judges
scored it 96-94 for Harper, 96-95 for Jonas and 95-95.
"I know I hurt her," said Harper. "She hurt me a few times.
I'm disappointed by my performance but that was only my 11th
competition on the big stage. That was a big learning fight
for me. I felt it, I felt my legs go, I sucked it up and dug
deep for the last two rounds. I knew she was a tough
opponent but I didn't expect her to come out like that!
Massive respect. Tasha is someone I looked up to. I could
tell the class she had. Maybe I underestimated her a bit."
"I won the eighth clearly," said Jonas. "I thought I won the
ninth and tenth. It was close. I had myself one or two up.
History in the making and it was an honour to share them.
She made some statements which I had to prove wrong, to her
but to myself as well. All eyes were on women's boxing and
hopefully we made the public proud. One million percent I'd
do that again!"
"Jonas was brilliant," said promoter Eddie Hearn. "Nobody
gave her a chance! Everyone was high on Terri and rightly
so. I scored it a draw. But if anyone was going to get the
decision it would be Jonas. We have to see that fight again.
I know we are talking about unifications and mandatories but
you have to do that again. Jonas deserves another shot at
the World Title. Jonas was hurt in the second. Harper was
buzzed in the eighth. Unbelievable to watch."
10 x 3 mins Super-Welterweight contest
ANTHONY FOWLER WTKO7 (1:34) v ADAM HARPER
(Liverpool) (Tewkesbury)
Anthony Fowler looked back to his destructive best as he
dominated the tough and game Adam Harper, dropping him in
round four before sealing the win with a stoppage in the
seventh.
'The Machine' had too much fire power for Harper, and will
now look towards an explosive Super-Welterweight showdown
with Bermondsey's Ted Cheeseman or a rematch with Preston's
Scott Fitzgerald.
"I should have been more composed," said Fowler. "I got
greedy. I know Shane McGuigan can take me all the away. I am
improving. I boxed alright. I started off and I felt good in
my shape. I was outclassing him early on. I got a bit greedy
and thought 'he's got nothing to come back with anything
hurtful'. He's not the biggest puncher. He was quite
hittable. I got greedy and I was looking for those big
shots. I need more rounds under the lights. The likes of
Eggington and Cheeseman are great fights for me. I need to
improve to beat them lads.
"I thought the low blows were a bit harsh. They were hitting
his waist band. We knew he'd never been stopped. He'd been
to Australia, boxed a world ranked Middleweight in Michael
Zerafa and went the distance with him. Zerafa couldn't stop
him, I did. I knew I would. As soon as I caught him clean I
hurt him. I like the kid. He's got a lot of heart and a lot
of balls. A good chin. Big respect to him and I hope he
carries on in the sport."
"He was sharp and disciplined but got greedy," said Fowler's
trainer Shane McGuigan. "Some of these tough guys can take
shots all day and are accustomed to the power. I want to
push him onto Ted Cheeseman or even European level."
"Eggington, Fitzgerald, Cheeseman," said promoter Eddie
Hearn. "It's time for Fowler to leap in with those guys.
Sergio Garcia for the European Title?"
6 x 3 mins Featherweight contest
HOPEY PRICE WPTS6 (60-54) v JONNY PHILLIPS
(Leeds) (Sandhurst)
Leeds Featherweight prospect Hopey Price extended his
unbeaten record to 3-0 (1 KO) with a composed points win
over Sandhurst's Jonny Phillips.
The 20-year-old, trained and managed by Dave Coldwell in
Rotherham, neutralised the early aggression of Phillips to
seal a comfortable 60-54 verdict.
"I'm very happy with my performance," said Price. "I've been
working with Dave Coldwell over the past year since I turned
pro. I sparred with Kid Galahad and Jordan Gill and it has
brought me on leaps and bounds. I'm not just a one
dimensional fighter. I can adapt to any situation and I
think I proved that tonight.
"As you saw through fight week, he's a pretty hyped up fella
and he talks a lot. You see him banging his gloves and
banging his chest. I might only be a young kid but I've got
an old head on my shoulders. I just had to keep boxing and
keep disciplined. I did what I needed to do tonight.
"I've been training for weeks but I never knew who I was
boxing. I prepared for any style. He was a game kid but I
dealt with it very well tonight. He started slowing down
around rounds three and four. I started putting my shots
together nicely in rounds five and six. It was a good
performance. He's a tough kid and he's never been stopped."
"The sparring he had with Kid Galahad was invaluable," said
Coldwell. "It's about learning how to manage. When there is
a tornado, don't go straight into it. Wait for it to blow
itself out then get to work. They are the kind of fights to
ask questions of Price. You saw tonight that when he is put
under pressure by a stronger man, he can handle it."
12 x 3 mins Commonwealth Cruiserweight Title
CHRIS BILLAM-SMITH WTKO2 (2:05) v NATHAN THORLEY
(Bournemouth) (Cardiff)
Chris Billam-Smith blasted out Cardiff's Nathan Thorley in
two rounds as he successfully defended his Commonwealth
Cruiserweight Title for the first time in the opening bout
of Fight Camp Week 2.
The 30-year-old utilised his superior size and power,
backing up Thorley from the off and forcing 'Thunder' to
take a knee with a big left hook at the end of round one.
Sensing an early finish, 'The Gentleman' resumed his
ruthless assault in the second round and clubbing punches
again floored Thorley, who briefly fired back defiantly,
before a crunching counter punch prompted the referee to
wave it off.
The impressive win potentially sets up a shot at the vacant
European Title, previously held by Billam-Smith's gym mate
Lawrence Okolie, and Belfast's Tommy McCarthy could be the
man he faces for the belt later this year.
"It was different." said Billam-Smith. "It was different
with no crowd. I'm happy with the win and I'm happy with the
finish. I felt like I hurt him in the first round. Not
visibly, but you can tell when you're landing them shots you
know. Then obviously I dropped him at the end of the first.
I knew the good finish was coming.
"He had a fight back in there but as soon as he had success
I knew he'd get reckless so I just walked him onto a shot. I
have boxed out in a tent in Brentwood when I was an amateur
funnily enough. I got the win then as well. It's an
unbelievable set up. Very different with no crowd and not
having my fiancé here. We're meant to be getting married
tomorrow so I'll send my love to her.
"It's a completely different and a great set up. It's
wicked. I trust the team. They've looked after me superbly
so far. We'll fight anyone. I think I've proven that
already. If that fight comes for me it's a brilliant fight.
Such a prestigious belt in the European Title. The fights
are there. Whatever Shane and Eddie want to do with me, then
great."
"Chris started fast," said his trainer Shane McGuigan. "I
think Nathan's game plan was to try and take it to the later
rounds and use his feet and mobilise. Chris started so fast
and hurt him early. His physical size and his punching
power, I think he's a real force.
"He's been out sparring Mairis Briedis. He only sparred
Lawrence Okolie this whole way through camp. The two of them
are brining each other on all of the time and I'm really
happy with how quickly he's progressing. I really want to
push him on to European level now. The European Title is
vacant now that Lawrence has vacated it. I think we could
push Eddie to try and get Tommy McCarthy against Chris
Billam-Smith for the end of the year."
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