SHABAZ MASOUD: BRITAIN’S FAST-RISING SUPER-BANTAMWEIGHT DELIVERS STATEMENT OF INTENT BY STOPPING YOANN BOYEUX IN DUBAI.
The ‘Maverick’ Shabaz Masoud dazzled at Probellum Evolution and bamboozled his hugely experienced French rival, forcing him to quit at the end of the second round. Masoud moves to 10-0 with this career-best win and said he wanted to leave his mark on the big stage in the Middle East.
Britain’s fast-rising super-bantamweight star Shabaz Masoud delivered a statement of intent by stopping Yoann Boyeux in Dubai.
“I came out for the first bell and I was looking for the stoppage – I wanted to make a bit of a statement,” said Masoud, who hails from Stoke-on-Trent.
“I’m ready for step-ups in class now, I’ve been saying that for a long time. I know what I am capable or and my team and my family know what I am capable of.”
American O’Shaquie Foster now has the WBC world title in his sights after winning an eliminator against Muhammadkhuja Yaqubov.
Foster stepped on the gas in the second-half of the super-featherweight contest at Probellum Evolution and scored a sweet knockdown in the final round to help rubber stamp his victory.
Foster, nicknamed ‘Ice Water’, was awarded victory with scores of 118-109 and 117-110 and 117-110 by the ringside judges at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium.
“It has been a long journey with lots of ups and downs but I feel great and I cannot wait for my shot at the world title,” the 19-2 Foster said.
“I feel like crying I am so happy.”
Foster admits he found his opponent from Tajikistan “awkward” in the early rounds but says he was able to “pick him off” thereafter, culminating in the hook which sent Yaqubov to the canvas in round 12.
WBC champion Oscar Valdez faces Shakur Stevenson in a unification clash on April 30 but Foster is now in line to face the winner.
Earlier on the stacked card, Bakhodir Jalolov took less than five rounds to cement his status as a future heavyweight champion with a brutal beatdown of Kamil Sokolowski.
The 6’7” Olympic gold medallist scored a knockdown in round two with a cuffing shot that Sokolowski brushed off but the Big Uzbek was repeatedly hurting his Polish opponent with backhands to the body.
At the beginning of round five, Jalolov made a telling breakthrough when his lethal left hand dropped Sokolowski just seconds after the bell.
Further punishment was dished out by a menacing Jalolov and Sokolowski fell to the canvas once more under a barrage of clubbing shots, prompting the referee to step in and bring a halt to the contest at 1:17 of the round five.
“I’m ready to compete with the best in the heavyweight division and I am coming for all of the belts, and I know my time is coming,” Jalolov said after the fight, as he moved to 10-0 as a professional.
Jalolov is being primed for a big fight in the United States this summer as he builds towards a shot at the heavyweight crown.
Poland’s Eryk Apresyan opened Probellum Evolution with victory over Burak Akkus, dropping his rival with a body shot.
Sultan Al Nuaimi was next in action at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, and the home fighter out-pointed Tanzania’s Hamza Mchanjo over six rounds.
Tom Hill of the United Kingdom was given the nod by all three ringside judges in his bout with Ireland’s Rohan Date.
Hill, who moves to 10-2 as a professional, dropped his opponent in the sixth round and took the contest 77-75, 77-75 and 76-75.
Joshua Ridgewell dominated a blood-stained super-featherweight contest with India’s Suraj Ram.
Ridgewell, from Essex in England, was in control from the off and moved to 2-0 as a professional when the referee stopped the fight in round three due to a nasty cut above Ram’s right eye.
“After that, I’m very happy,” buzzed Ridgewell.
“I landed some really nice shot and stopped everything he was trying to do.”
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