Adeleye Continues Heavyweight Charge

DAVID ADELEYE IS the new WBO European heavyweight champion following a resounding stoppage victory over Dymtro Bezus at York Hall on Friday night, with both Mark Chamberlain and Henry Turner retaining their IBF and WBC belts respectively.

The explosive Adeleye set about the Ukrainian from the first bell, with the previously unbeaten Bezus floored with a big, straight left in the opening round and rocked by an uppercut just before the bell.

Bezus did rally in the second, but his revival proved to be short-lived as a howitzer of a chopping left hook ended his night, with referee Bob Williams calling an end to proceedings after 1.48 of the round and a bouncing York Hall acknowledged a new champion.

Mark Chamberlain took his time to figure out the threat posed by a tough customer in Vairo Lenti, with the Italian challenger having not previously suffered defeat via stoppage.

Ultimately, the Waterlooville warrior was the more aggressive, but more importantly, accurate in his work and in the fifth round the jaw of Lenti was buckled by a hellacious left hook delivered by the 24-year-old, who moves to 12-0 and still the owner of the IBF European lightweight title.

The official time of the knockout was 53 seconds of round five. Marcus McDonnell officiated.

Henry Turner celebrated reaching double figures as a professional with a third stoppage victory in four fights over the Spaniard Zeus de Armas to retain his WBC International Silver super lightweight title.

The 22-year-old is a highly-skilled operator who doesn't rely on power in any way, but he put his man down in the third round with a looping left and again in the fourth courtesy of a right hook to the body.

Turner's attack to the body was to prove decisive and in round seven referee Mark Lyson had seen enough when de Armas again was put to the canvas and time was called with 1.20 of the round completed.

In the non-title fights, Chris Bourke got back in the groove after his unsuccessful tilt at the British super bantamweight title last year by dropping down to bantamweight and returning against the dangerous Darwin Martinez.

The record of Martinez is deceptive. While he has taken 10 losses, six of his seven wins have come via KO, so he clearly presents a threat. This was demonstrated in the first round when he rocked Bourke with a big right and the Streatham man appeared disorientated across the first three minutes after being out with injury for knocking on a year.

The Peacock Gym pupil regrouped impressively from the start of round two and put his man down with a vicious left to the body, repeating the trick a further two times in round three and referee Lee Every had seen enough after 2.53 of the round.

Blue Chip prospect Royston Barney-Smith again showed his class in his fifth professional fight against Lesther Lara. A right hand straight to the body accounted for the typically durable Nicaraguan and now the 19-year-old has three straight stoppages on his card, with the treble taking up less than three minutes of action.

At cruiserweight, Aloys Jr continued to shine and made short work of the Czech Jiri Krejci. An attack to the body folded Krejci after just 38 seconds and the 19-year-old moved to 3-1 as a pro, with all three coming via stoppage.

Two six-rounders opened the night, with 8-0 super welterweight Carl Fail enjoying a shutout victory over Serge Ambomo and 8-0 super bantamweight Adan Mohamed doing likewise against Francisco Rodriguez.