This is Belfast undercard fight reports
Eamonn King Kane’s rear end will be safe from the boot of trainer Oscar Checa after he registered a knock out of the year contender to claim the WBC International silver middleweight title on the This Is Belfast card.
The Derry middleweight spoke of how getting a scolding from his team after his Kerry Hope fight motivated him to put on a show and he looked trough to his word. O’Kane canned Alvaro Gaona 2:42 into the first round. The over hand right buckled his foe to floor. Once the shot landed it was clear their was no hope of a return and the Dungiven man collected a third title with a knock out for the show reel.
Stephen Ormond registered another reputation enhancing victory thanks to a sensational one punch knock out of the robust Karim El Quazghari.
The Dubliner retained his WBO lightweight title and followed his break through victory over Derry Matthews with an eye catching stoppage win. Ormond landed a beautifully timed and power packed right hand right on the former Spanish champions chin in the fifth round.
El Quazghari buckled to the floor, rose instinctively to his feet, but resembled a drunk trying to persuade a bouncer he fully in control of a senses when being refused from a night club after a days drinking.
The referee rightly called a halt to proceedings 2:05 minutes into the fifth stanza and Ormond’s march up the rankings continues.
The usual all action Ormond came to the ring with an impressive action man beard, but with a more patient air about him from the first round. He still stalked his prey and predominately moved forward, but there was definitely a lot more thought to his work.
He exploded into action on various occasions throughout the first three rounds,but a stiff left jab was his most potent and regularly thrown weapon. A few left hooks had his supporters on their feet, but the awkward Spaniard never looked overly troubled.
Indeed in the fourth he offered some resistance and landed some decent shots of his own. Ormond returned to the jab in the fourth and landed it at will, but it was when he unleash the right that the damage was done. ‘The Rock’ slipped a punch and unleashed an over hand right that forced his foe to touch the deck. Instinct saw him rise before the referee could step in and he got a second right for his troubles and there was no route to recovery.
Marco McCullough put the disappointment of having his WBO European title fight canceled last minute with an impressive stoppage victory 59 seconds into the third round.
The Irish featherweight champion was pitted against Emir Raphael at the last minute after his original foe failed his medical. Poor Raphael bore the brunt of the Irish Prospect of the Years frustration and was dismantled by the Breen’s gym puncher.
McCullough sliced open the late replacements defence with upper cuts in the first round and it was clearer the visiting wasn’t comfortable.
A straight right to the solar-plexus followed by a warping right hand combined to send Raphael to the floor. He beat the count but was taking back taking beautifully timed right hands after a brief respite between rounds two and three another straight hurt Slovakian and referee Paul McCullaugh was forced to step in as McCullough went for the kill and unleashed a volley of leather.
Jamie Conlan brought more than a little bit of Mexico to Belfast as he claimed the WBO European title in impressive fashion.
Conlan delighted his sombrero wearing following with his come forward Mexican fight style and broke down Belgian Benjamin Smoes in seven rounds, claiming a first career title in the process.
After an minute assault to the body, Smoes couldn’t take anymore and when he dropped to the canvas for the second time in the fight 23 seconds into the seventh the referee put him out of his misery and called halt to he fight.
A couple of body shots in the first round distorted the face of Smoes, as he gasp for air amid some nicely timed Conlan assaults.
A clash of heads resulted in a cut over the local fighters right eye in the second, but Conlan didn’t seem fazed. He found a home for the over hand right and tested the chin of his foe over the next two rounds. The Cyclone Promotions fighter increased the tempo in the fourth and moved up the gears. The pressure became relentless, reminiscent of a Mexican puncher Conlan moved into range and let a variety of shots off.
A superb left hook in the fifth had the visiting fighter gasping for air and ducking for cover. The 27 year old super flyweight had his opponent down at the tail end of the sixth. A straight right sent him crashing to the ropes and a the pressure that followed forced Smoes to consult the canvas.
He got reacquainted with the floor seconds after the seventh restarted. Conlan jumped his foe and he slumped to the floor. Conlan was enjoying himself so much he beckoned his foe to fight on but the referee stopped the fight and Conlan picked up his first pro title.
Conrad Cummings got the ball rolling with a home win. The middleweight prospect cut journey man Zahari Mutafchiev just over the eye with a left hook in the second round of his Belfast debut. The blood soaked Mutafchiev returned to his corner at the end of the second stanza only to be informed by the doctor he wouldn’t be returning for the third.
It was a job done display by Cummings who boxed behind a stif jab in the first round against an opponent looking with just survival on his mind. More openings appeared in he second and Cummings cut his man early on. The experienced journey man made it to the final bell of the second but such was the cut he was deemed unfit to carry on and Cummings pushed his unbeaten record to two fights.
