Spanish veteran Kiko Martinez (43-10-2, 30 KOs) offered one of many shocks of the 12 months final evening with a surprising sixth spherical TKO win over Child Galahad (28-2, 17 KOs) to seize the IBF featherweight title in Sheffield.
Galahad, who was making the primary defence of his title, started proceedings in dominant style; hurting Martinez with a stiff southpaw left hand within the opening spherical earlier than happening to dominate the primary 4 periods in a largely managed, spectacular efficiency.
Nonetheless, with simply fifteen seconds remaining within the fifth, ‘La Sensacion’ uncorked a monstrous overhand proper that landed flush on the chin of Galahad, sending the Wincobank-native crashing to the canvas for the primary time since 2012.
Although Galahad made it to his ft and noticed out the remaining seconds of the spherical, he merely wasn’t in a position to get better, succumbing to a different proper hand simply seconds into the sixth which left him unconscious – and beltless – in a heap.
Cue the celebrations for Martinez, who grew to become a two-weight world champion on the ripe previous age of 35 and broke a five-fight dropping streak on British soil in essentially the most emphatic style.
Elsewhere on the undercard, WBC super-featherweight champion Terri Harper was upset by slick American Alycia Baumgardner, dropping her title in brutal style by way of fourth spherical TKO.
An evening to neglect for British boxing…
Function picture: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
