World Series Boxing 2015: Knockout performance from Joe Joyce as Lionhearts roar in London
The heavyweight now has nine wins from 10 fights in the WSB
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Your support makes all the difference.Commonwealth champion Joe Joyce continued his impressive form in the World Series Boxing with his second stoppage victory of the season. Ekow Essuman also took his second win in the competition following a successful debut in the Ukraine last month.
Joyce and Essuman were joined in victory by debutant Jack Bateson, who navigated his was through some scrappy patches against a rugged opponent in Abdelhakaim Elbarka. Bateson brought good support down from Leeds and won a unanimous points victory after 5 rounds. "It was great to get the win tonight. I'll be honest I was quite nervous this week, I didn't get too much sleep the last couple of nights, but I'm glad it all went well. I'm trying to learn from every fight and this has been a great experience."
The second contest of the evening saw Desert Hawks Lightweight Reda Benbaziz secure a surprise win over the Lionhearts’ international boxer and 2009 world champion, Detelin Dalakliev, to give the teams one victory a piece before Essuman put the home side back in front. The Nottingham fighter impressed Lionhearts head coach Rob McCraken, who also coaches Nottingham based 4 time world champion Carl Froch. 'He's got podium potential and is a real bright star of the future, he's stepped up, beaten a good Ukrainian away from home and now a rough handful of a fighter here tonight'. Essuman, pleased with his WSB campaign so far said "My dream is to go to an Olympics and win a medal, I'm working so hard to make it happen. These are the first steps."
With John Newell receiving a walk over against Nabil Kassel due to the travel difficulties for the Algerian, Essumans' victory had given the Lionhearts an unassailable lead.
With victory secure, heavyweight favourite Joyce laced up his gloves for the final contest of the night. A game competitor in Mohammed Grimes marched forward and met Joyce in the middle, landing the overhand right on occasion, but was no match for the 6'6" Londoner who pierced his guard with fierce uppercuts in the early stages. Joyce's notoriously high output proved the difference in round 2 as he overwhelmed Grimes with volume and power. By the beginning of the third, the hometown fighter pounced upon an opening, firing a volley of unanswered straight lefts and rights, putting the Algerian on the canvas. Grimes showed heart to make the count, but was moments later waved off by his corner, as Joyce's hand was raised in victory.
The Londoner now has nine wins from 10 fights in the WSB and said "I'm really pleased to get the stoppage. With Olympic qualification at stake I just want to win every fight, but it's nice to do it in style." The WSB inaugurated boxers into the new look, no head guard system nearly three years before the official regulation was changed in elite amateur competition. With a 5 round, 10 point must system, the series provides a meeting point between the amateur and professional side of the sport. "I'm really used to the format now," said Joyce, "it's helped me prepare for the Commonwealths and other internationals, whereas a lot of fighters are still quite new to it. You face a lot of different styles from all parts of the world too, and that's helped me develop a lot as a boxer."
The Lionhearts now face two tough away trips to Russia and group leaders Cuba before returning home to face the Ukraine Ottomans on February 26th.
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