Ursu Dominates Cooper Adds British Crown!

By: Ian Webb

Saturday, February 28th, Vaillant Live, Derby, Derbyshire, United Kingdom: Heading Frank Warren’s “Under the Lights”Queensberry Promotion streamed live on DAZN, Plymouth, Devon, UK, Commonwealth Boxing Council Welterweight Champion, Constantin Ursu added the vacant BBBofC British title to his collection with a masterful unanimous decision win over Worcester, Worcestershire, UK’s, Owen Cooper.

In charge from the opening bell, the southpaw Ursu on his toes, dominated with crisp jabs and hard, clean left hands. Cooper with some minor success in the middle rounds repeatedly walked into hard, snapping left hands in rounds three, five, six and nine would battle on in round ten winging and landing a sharp right-hand worthy of Ursu’s attention. Ursu returning to his precision combination punching, held off Coop’s swing for the fences final round push for a well-deserved 116-112, 118-110 times two unanimous decision win. The two belt champion, Ursu extends his undefeated record to 15-0, 7Ko’s Cooper with just his second loss dips to 11-2, 4 Ko’s.

In the super lightweight, co-feature, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear’s, Luke McCormack banked a one-way ten round unanimous decision win over Beswick, Lancashire, UK’s, “Sugar” Kane Gardner.

The 2020 Olympian, McCormack dictated the pace and distance breaking down and putting Kane on the defense with a crisp, accurate jab. Continuing to bank points and rounds working through and around “Sugars” high but soft defense McCormack not allowing any consistent offense from his out matched Beswick foe boxing his way to a wide 99-92, 100-90 times two unanimous decision win. McCormack improves to 5-0, 3Ko’s as Gardner 1-3 in his last four bouts drops to 18-6, 7Ko’s.

Northampton, Northamptonshire, UK, super welterweight, “Big” Ben Fail continued his rise through the domestic ranks with a solid points win over Ellesmere Port, Cheshire's, battle-tested Mason “Nutty” Cartwright.

Cartwright, making it competitive early with Fail’s superior technical boxing and relentless pressure proved too much to down the stretch keeping “Nutty” at bay for long stretches dominated the majority of the exchanges with crisp razor-sharp southpaw left hands and rights to the body backing Cartwright to the ropes with a relentless undefended volley of punches forcing referee Chris dean to step in and call it over at 1:46 of round seven. Still unbeaten, the 29-year-old, Fail moves up to 11-0, 6Ko’s. The gritty, 33-year-old, Cartwright unbeaten in his previous four drops to 23-5-1, 9Ko’s.

Woolwich, London, up and coming flyweight, Tony “Lightning Junior” Curtis out boxed Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania, veteran Jemsi Kibazange to a one sided eight frame points win.

The 19-year-old, Roy Jones trained Curtis scheduled for eight rounds for the first time settled in at the opening sound used superior activity and precision movement and punching to outbox the 29-year-old, Tanzanian to secure a lopsided referee Ryan Churchill scored 80-72 points win. Curtis sole defeat a four round points loss in his pro-debut improves to 13-1, 3Ko’s. Kibazange winless in his last six fights falls to 21-15-4, 8Ko’s.

In a scheduled six round featherweight bout, Maidstone, Kent, 24-year-old, 2024 Olympic Bronze Medalist, Charlie Senior put his superior pedigree on full display flooring Comunidad de Madrid, Spain’s, Jesus Carrasco in rounds one and five convincing referee Ryan Churchill to stop the pounding at 1:15 of round five. Senior with consecutive stoppage wins moves to 4-0, 2Ko’s. Carrasco’s two bout victory run comes to an end at 2-3-1.

In an uneventful but competitive heavyweight bout, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire’s, Lewis Williams won an ordinary six round points win over Battersea, London’s, Ben “The Butcher” Vickers.

The 6’7”, Williams controlling the pace and the distance throughout most of the action keeping the 6’3” “Butcher” at bay jabbing his way to a clear, referee Chris Dean scored 60-54 points win. Williams improves to 4-0, 1Ko as Vickers evens up at 3-3-1, 1Ko.

In an experience gaining six round super lightweight affair Fauldhouse, Scotland, southpaw, Reese “Reeco” Lynch outclassed Manchester, Lancashire’s, Dan “The Monk” Booth.

The 24-year-old, Scotsman controlled the bout with clinical movement and sharp combinations keeping “The Monk” on the defensive consistently scoring to the head and body gaining a referee Ryan Churchill scored shutout 60-54 points win. Lynch moves to 3-0, 1Ko. The 39-year-old, battle worn, Booth winless in his last nineteen appearances sinks to 6-20, 3Ko’s.

In a six round super lightweight match, Kvareli, Georgia, 2024 Olympic Bronze Medalist, Lasha Guruli stayed unbeaten with a steady six round points win over Jalisco, Mexico, journeyman, Benito “Canelito” Garcia.

The more skilled, Guruli starting and finishing behind a steady jab, moved with the discipline of a more season veteran dictating the pace and distance staying in full control to the final bell and a very favorable referee Chris Dean scored 60-54 points win. The 29-year-old, Guruli improves to 3-0, 1Ko while the younger more experienced 25-year-old, Garcia already lined up to meet Gary Cully March 14th at 3Arena, Dublin back in the red levels out at 17-17-4, 5Ko’s.

Newark, Nottinghamshire, middleweight, Joe “Show-Stopper” Cooper extended his unbeaten streak with a clear-cut four round points victory over veteran Sheffield, Yorkshire, based Cameroon, Serge Ambomo.

The 19-year-old, “Show-Stopper” still in search of his first stoppage victory controlled the action behind a solid defense and cleaner, more accurate punching out-working the sturdy 2012 Olympian to a referee Chris Dean scored 40-36 points win.  Cooper improves to 6-0 as the battle tested, 39-year-old, workhorse, Ambomo sinks to 13-72-3, 4Ko’s.

In a four round preliminary bout, Kettering, Northamptonshire, super lightweight, Ellis “The Problem” Panter made a composed successful professional debut outpointing Newport, Wales, “opponent” Garth Noot.

The 20-year-old, former Team GB boxer, five-time national champion and European Gold Medalist, patiently used his superior speed and technical skills to control the spacing neutralizing the 37-year-old, more experienced Welshman,  boxing his way to a calculated referee Ryan Churchill scored 40-36 points win. Panter kicks off at 1-0 as Noot winless since his pro-debut sinks to 1-16-2, 1Ko