Jumping two weight divisions proved too much for Kid Galahad tonight in Nottingham, where Maxi Hughes took most of the cards in a tight back-and-forth fight.
There weren’t many fireworks, but it was a see-saw fight with tension and balanced action throughout. Ultimately, Galahad’s (28-3, 17 KO) repeated fouls, whether careless or strategic, changed the outcome. Galahad was warned twice early for stepping toe, warned in the sixth round for coming in with his head and warned in the eighth for hard hitting Hughes (26-5-2, 5 KOs) under the chin in clinch. Finally, in the 10th, Galahad lost a point with a header.
That deduction made the difference, as Hughes took a majority decision on scorecards 116-111, 114-113 and 114-114. Without the penalty, Galahad and Hughes would have ended in a split draw.
Bad Left Hook had the fight 116-111. The first half was pretty much all pick-em, but the difference in our unofficial score came from Hughes’ superior work at the back. Hughes also displayed exceptional head and foot spin and movement throughout, which limited Galahad’s ability to sustain an attack. Galahad’s work rate slowed significantly as the warnings piled up, while Hughes kept up his effort and intensity even after a cut eye in the eleventh.
It’s a tough result for Galahad in his first fight since a shock knockout loss to Kiko Martinez last November. The temptation might be to blame the deduction, but he should probably feel lucky to have lost just one point despite all the fouls and pauses for stern warnings.
As for Hughes, he said afterward that he’s ready to fight anyone at lightweight in the United States. When asked if he wanted someone specifically, Hughes simply said, “Whoever pays the most.”
Hughes vs. Galahad Highlights
Terri Harper UD-10 Hannah Rankin
The main support was a fantastic, intense and bloody showdown between Hannah Rankin and Terri Harper. Harper (13-1-1, 6 KOs) started brilliantly, marking Rankin’s eye in the first round and opening what looked like a troublesome cut with a punch midway through the second.
Rankin’s corner did a brilliant job of preventing the damaged eye from ending the fight, although Harper still had the fight on his terms through the first four rounds. Things changed in the fifth, when Rankin (12-6, 3 KOs) caught Harper with a solid combo that left Harper much more cautious in the later middle rounds.
Rankin discarded and pressed much more successfully from then on, but began to show fatigue in the ninth. She was less sharp and didn’t land cleanly, leaving Harper the openings to counter brilliantly.
Bad Left Hook unofficially had it 96-94 for Harper, who finished closer than the official scores of 97-93 and 98-92 x2. Neither was outrageous, as the eighth was very close and Harper hit flashy, clean shots in the ninth.
Good sportsmanship from both afterwards as Harper successfully jumps three divisions and reclaims the IBF 154-pound belt from Rankin. Excellent performance from both, and worth rewatching if you missed it live.
Solomon Dacres UD-10 Ariel Esteban Bracamonte
Terrible show, terrible effort, terrible performance from Solomon Dacres tonight. He contested ten full rounds for the first time in his career, but it’s no credit to him, and his drive to the final bell raises serious questions about his future as a heavyweight of any real relevance.
Dacres (5-0, 1 KO) faced an ill-conditioned opponent in Ariel Esteban Bracamonte, but spent the first 5 1/2 rounds barely taking a step forward. Bracamonte (11-10, 6 KOs) was already riding a three-fight losing streak in 2022, most recently losing to Frazer Clarke via second-round TKO.
Flat out, Dacres put in the kind of nonchalant, lackluster effort reminiscent of an NBA star goofing around in youth camp. Minimal volume, minimal effort and he ended up showing fatigue late in the fight anyway.
Dacres was warned about low blows in the sixth and eighth rounds, then lost a point in the ninth with a straight hook to the penis and balls. However, it was the only point he lost, with all three judges scoring 99-90 in favor of Dacres.
DAZN and Matchroom did not share highlights. Don’t bother going back to look and try to find any on your own, either.
Cheavon Clarke TKO-4 Marcos Nicholas Karalitzky
Quality performance from Cheavon Clarke in his third fight of the year and first place on the main show. Clarke (3-0, 3 KO) faced his first opponent with a winning record in Marcos Nicolas Karalitzky, who put in a great effort and made Clarke work to finish the fight.
Karalitzky (7-6-2, 2 KOs) calmed down after a skittish-footed first round, standing up to trade with Clarke, leaning in and refusing to be knocked down every time. Clarke had the best of it from start to finish, but was caught multiple times in return. He never seemed to be in trouble, but it’s still a potentially problematic leak in his defense, particularly given that he’s already 31 years old.
When it was over, it was over quickly. Clarke began landing heavy hooks midway through the fourth with Karalitzky backed up against the ropes. Karalitzky never went down and never stopped throwing, but the umpire stepped in anyway for a very reasonable standing stop.
Cyrus Pattinson TKO-6 Jorick Luisetto
First ten-round fight for Cyrus Pattinson, but he only needed six to dispatch Jorick Luisetto. Pattinson (5-0, 3 KO) landed some hard body shots in the sixth, dropping Luisetto (12-5, 3 KO) twice in the sixth. It’s an impressive result for Pattinson, as Luisetto had never before been stopped in his previous 16 pro fights.
