Sebastian Formella challenges Conor Benn for his WBA Continental title
Unbeaten champion Conor Benn (16-0, 11KOs) and once-beaten challenger Sebastian Formella (22-1, 10KOs) clash at The SSE Arena in Wembley on Saturday night, November 21.
BBN are reporting LIVE so you can follow all the action round by round as it happens right here:
19:00 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS
Fight #1
LIAM DAVIES v SEAN CAIRNS
10 x 3 mins vacant English Bantamweight Title
Opening the show is unbeaten bantamweight Liam Davies (7-0, 2KOs) and Liverpool's Sean Cairns (7-2, 1KO).
34-year-old southpaw Cairns lost two fights back to back in November 2018 to arguably the most skilful journeyman in the countyr, Brett 'The Threat' Fidoe, who Davies defeated in his last fight, and then to then-unbeaten Sean McGoldrick four months on, who just recently reached the Ultimate Boxxer final this month, but has since reeled off four wins on the trot, claiming the Central Area bantamweight title in his last fight in March this year which set up this English championshop shot.
Telford's Davies looked very focused before the first bell had rung. The 24-year-old begun on the backfoot, but he started to land strong right hands past the midway mark, which landed heavily. A lovely one-two rocked Cairns with 30 seconds to go, and Davies well and truly found a home for that right hand, then ended the round with a couple of body shots, part of a four punch combo. Clear round for Davies and if it continues in this fashion, Cairns won't last long.
Twice-beaten Cairns was moving much better in the second stanza. His right eye was marked up already. But once again at the miway mark, Davies landed heavily with his right and stepped up the pressure. His lead right hand was a formidable weopan that kept striking home. Cairns was marked up and breathing heavily already after only six minutes in.
Liverpudlian Cairns fought fire with fire and threw combinations that worked to back Davies up to the ropes. Davies came back again to take over, while Cairns was trying to land his southpaw stance right hook.
Davies was looking very comfortable by the fifth round, and was confident enough to begin to put more weight behind his punches. Very patient and powerful display so far from Davies, picking his shots very well, which highly accurate and ultimately damaging. Davies put together a flurry of about eight punches, a couple landed a bit low and the referee called to keep them up, but the pair have been allowed to fight freely with hardly any interruptions. Davies' left hook was added to the end of his one-twos and was looking very hurtful and effective.
Cairns was still coming forward but his head was being snapped back by the attcks from Davies and was taking so much punishment. Brave performance but probably best that his corner saves him from further damage here. The Liverpudlian looked pained and exhausted as he trudged back to the corner.
Rightfully, Cairns' corner withdrew their man at the end of round six, and Davies becomes the new English bantamweight champion after a perfect performance.
Fight #2
BEN RIDINGS v JEZ SMITH
6 x 3 mins Middleweight contest
Southern Area title contender Jez Smith (11-2-1, 5KOs) was in the away corner against heaviily tattoed welterweight prospect Ben Ridings (3-0).
The first round was very close, Smith perhaps slightly busier as the pair tentatively tried to work each other out.
The second round opened up a bit, Ridings landing a sweet upercut during the final minute.
Smith was comfortably in control of the contest from round three onwards and was beginning to pull away towards a classy points decision, it seemed.
Referee Bob Williams scored the six-round contest at 60-54 to Harrow Weald's Smith, who took the fight at just five days notice.
Little was backed up to the ropes straight away in round two as left and right hooks crashed through the guard to connect on the Hatfield man's chin relentlessly.
Fight #3
ALEN BABIC v TOM LITTLE
8 x 3 mins International Heavyweight contest
Heavyweights Babic and Little looked so identical, they could have passed for twins!
Babic went straight in on the bell, as we have become accustomed to seeing. With one minute to go, 'The Savahe' landed a clean left hook to Little's temple, who was then trapped in the corner, but he fired back and it was a bit of a shootout for the remainder. Great, lively start to the eight-rounds contest.
In roud three, Little was down under the strength of those damaging hooks from Babic. With 30 seconds to go, Babic got rid of his sixth opponent with an unending attack.
Babic is raw and unrefined, but his energy is high and he throws so many shots, you can't help but believe he could offer something in the blue-ribbon division. His skill level is so far off the likes of the world champions, but that aggression and relentlessness has to count for something. It'll be very interesting to see how the Croat fairs as he steps up in levels.
Chief Support
FABIO WARDLEY v RICHARD LARTEY
10 x 3 mins International Heavyweight contest
Just two rounds in and Lartey is stunned, decked, and finished! It was a left hook, right hook that finished him. Despite having a high guard up, Wardley's powerful hooks crashed through with ease and the right hook landed on the temple to down the West African, who has now lost three fights in a row.
The Ghanian stays down and looks very dazed and hurt, and has to receive oxygen as he is attended to by the ringside doctors. Wardley waits in the corner out of respect and doesn't even look like he's broken a sweat.
Main Event
CONOR BENN v SEBASTIAN FORMELLA
10 x 3 mins WBA Continental Welterweight Title
Formella throws the first jab but doesn't land, Benn throws his jab and does land. then the German throws another jab and Benn slips to his left and lands a very pretty body shot. Bright start from Benn, who looks very sharp and switched on. Midwat through andBenn lands a three-punch combo culminating in a clean left hook to Formella's head. The German landed a neat one-two with 30 seconds to go, but there's a distinct lack of power in his shots.
Round three was a delight to watch as Benn sizzled with his sharp jab that landed every time and there some eyecatching uppercuts getting through clean as well. Benn looked very comfortable and and confident. Formella was forced to back away from the attacks as his nose was bloodied by the 24-year-old 'Destroyer'.
Formella was having plenty of success himself, but Benn was unmarked, unperturbed and beating him to the punch every time. He was mixing his attacks from body to head in round four, but got tagged here and there just as a reminder that Formella was there and not to be underestimated, but his jab was really good and he was winning the contest to retain his WBA bauble.
Lots of energy and intensity from Benn, who's jab was as crisp and accurate as you like. Head movement very, very good as well. Only 20 amateur fights, Benn is learning on the job and it's exciting to see his development fight on fight. It seemed that taking on a once-beaten former IBO World champion was a big, risky step up in levels for Benn but it doesn't seem like as he is ful control, dominating the contest and surely has to be all five rounds up here.
Benn begins to overwhelm Formella in the sixth stanza and lands a lovely overhand right on the German's chin just 30 seconds in. He seems so comfortable in close range but credit to Formella who is showing a great chin and still throwing lots of shots here. He could back away but he isn't, he's standing in close and trading in what is the wildest round so far. The away fighter may have won his first round here, but he is paying the price as he sits on his stool in the corner panting heavily.
Round seven was very busy, eventful but uneventful as there was nothing really significant to report, but the points could have been shared on the cards. Benn is leading and if he can continue to keep this up then he will win on points. However, Formella is breathing hard and his right eye seems quite marked and looks like he's wilting under the pace.
For the first time all fight, round eight looked like Formella could go, bt he was soldiering on throwing so many shots, even taking the fight to him. Both boxers are battlers, but Formella looks so spent, he has really felt the pace of this fight set by Benn.
Trainer Tony Simms told his welterweight charge in the corner that the stoppage is there if he wants it. Benn doesn't need as he is winning clearly on points already. Benn lands a lovely clean uppercut while his man was on the ropes at a minute into round nine. Benn's crisp jab was still landing cleanly. The pair were exchanging but Benn was always better in everything that was traded. The last punch of the penultimate round saw Benn miss a left hook and hit the ropes, he smiled as the bell sounded.
Despite leading, Benn was gung-ho in the fnal round. He landed an amazing left hook to Formella's chin just a minute in but the German took it so well and carried on. Formella is clearly a European level fighter with a lot of skills and heart but definitely not world class. The final round was very even, however, but Benn's power was so much greater.
As the final bell sounded, Benn surely must have conquered his foe by eight rounds to two at the very least, and that's being kind to the visitor.
It was a very entertaining fight, which Benn won 100-91, 99-91, 99-92 on the judges' scorecards.
"I just stuck to my boxing," Benn told Matchroom post-fight. "I was hitting him with some hard shots. The guy just went 12 rounds with Shawn Porter and I think I beat him more convincingly. I didn't lose a round. It was an okay night's work. I've had harder spars than that. I'm not being funny. I've been sparring with Middleweights and Super-Middleweights in 18oz gloves. They wear 14oz gloves and I wear 18oz gloves. When it comes to punching power, if I'm not going to bang them out, I'll wear them down.
"He's a former World Champion and I expected nothing less. I stayed cool and composed the whole ten rounds. I could have done 15. I'm barely breaking a sweat now. He tried it on the inside and I beat him to the punches on the inside. He tried it at range and I beat him to the punches at range. I was quicker, faster and stronger. People think their experience is going to get to me, what experience? Jussi Koivula got banged out in two rounds and if they want to go ten or twelve I'll outbox them for 10 or 12.
"People will always question me because of my vulnerability. I'm hungry like I come from the ends. I'm hungry like I came from nothing. I fight like a starving man. You don't need to come form poverty, come from having nothing, to be a great fighter. I have a great life. I live such a blessed life, but I still fight like a starving man because of that championship mindset, that hunger and will to win.
"I've just beaten No.23 in the world, a former IBO World Champion. I'm pushing on. The only domestic fight I'm interested in, the only domestic fight that the public keep talking about, not Instagram, is the Josh Kelly fight. That's the only fight I'm interested in. If not, get me Samuel Vargas. Get me some of these top Yanks, I'll have a bit of them. The only domestic fight I'm interested in is Josh Kelly. Let's have it."
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