Conor Benn defeated a clearly injured but stubborn Regis Prograis by unanimous decision after ten bruising rounds at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

The British welterweight earned the verdict on all three scorecards by identical margins of 98-92 after a fierce fight that left Benn with sedate injuries around both eyes and Prograis struggling with what appeared to be a leg injury.

WBN also scored in the 98-92 fight.

Benn started quickly, landing pointed combinations and digging to the body while Prograis struggled to establish his move.

The former world champion looked to be struggling to keep his balance in the opening rounds as he struggled to cope with his injury, and Benn took advantage, charging forward and dictating the pace, doing the cleaner work.

Benn vs. Prograis

Despite the setback, Prograis showed his usual toughness, refusing to give up as the fight turned into a heated exchange at close range.

After the two clashed heads, Benn was injured around both eyes and the Briton struggled to bleed profusely as the fight escalated.

Prograis had moments of success in the middle rounds and even wobbled Benn in the seventh round, but the host continued to respond with sustained pressure and persistent bodywork.

Benn’s aggression and efficiency ultimately separated the two as Prograis continued to attack despite clearly not being 100 percent ready.

After ten demanding rounds, the judges unanimously sided with Benn, whose victory keeps him firmly in the welterweight division after another high-profile performance in London.

“The Destroyer” is now hopeful that Ryan Garcia will win the welterweight title after signing with Zuffa Boxing and leaving promoter Eddie Hearn under a cloud.

Hearn sat at ringside with no emotion, watching Benn win for the first time since their split.

About the Author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Since 2010, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives and reported on ring performances. Read the full biography.

Tim Tszyu continued to rebuild his position in the super welterweight division by defeating previously undefeated Denis Nurja over ten rounds on Saturday night in Wollongong.

Fighting in front of a home crowd at the Wollongong Entertainment Center in Modern South Wales, the former world champion set the pace throughout the match and scored a knockout, securing a unanimous decision victory.

All three judges gave identical scorecards 100-88, with Nurja losing a point in round seven Tim Tszyu improved his record to 27-3 with 18 knockouts.

Nurja entered the fight undefeated and tried to apply early pressure, but Tszyu quickly took control with steady combinations and body work that forced the Albanian back.

A clash of heads in round four caused a cut under Tszyu’s left eye, briefly disrupting the momentum of the fight.

Tszyu responded moments later with a ponderous left hook that knocked Nurja to the canvas.

Nurja defeated the count, but spent most of the remaining rounds trying to deal with Tszyu’s persistent attack.

A right hand in the sixth round visibly shook the challenger, and frustration ensued in the seventh when the referee informed the judges to deduct one point from Nurja for holding repeatedly.

Tszyu continued to push forward in the closing stages and Nurja lost his balance again in the final seconds of the tenth round before the challenger managed to go the distance.

Following the win, Tszyu turned his attention to potential future opponents at 154 pounds.

“I feel like I’m ready for Errol Spence Jr,” Tszyu said. “I think it would be a hell of a fight. It’s the bomb.”

“I’m not taking a step back. If he’s ready to meet me, then go ahead. I’m going gigantic fishing. Let’s go fishing.”

Goodman wins IBF Eliminator

In the co-main event there is an Australian challenger Sam Goodman solidified his position in the super bantamweight division with a unanimous decision victory over Argentine Rodrigo Ruiz in a twelve-round IBF title eliminator.

Goodman used movement and accuracy to neutralize Ruiz’s forward pressure while constantly building a lead on the scorecards.

The Australian landed more than half of his power punches and finished the fight with a clear advantage in punches thrown, 225 to 157.

All three judges were favored Goodman with scores of 118-110, 116-112 and 115-113.

Results below the card

Heavyweight prospect Nelson Asofah Solomon improved to 2-0 with two knockouts following a third-round stoppage of Jarrod Wallace.

The former rugby league player dropped Wallace twice with right hands before the referee stopped the fight 1:03 into the round.

Middleweight prospect Callum Peters they also remained undefeated after stopping Delio Mouzinho in the second round of the competition.

Peters scored a knockdown slow in the first round, then finished the game early in the second round with a straight right that forced a stoppage after 57 seconds.

Previously in the delicate heavyweight division Paulo Aokusa he needed only one round to defeat Kittipong Jian Hao Ho of Thailand.

Jian Hao Ho appeared to suffer a knee injury in the opening moments and fell twice before a corner kick stopped the fight at 2:20 of the first round.

Additional results:

Charlie Kazzi MD10 by Blair Geraghty
Max Reeves SD10 by Francis Waitai
Trewhella of Dharringa UD5 by Dominic Bailey

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Since 2010, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives and reported on ring performances. Read the full biography.

Jimuel Pacquiao scored the first knockout victory of his professional career as proud father Manny Pacquiao watched from ringside at the Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California.

The lightweight prospect stopped Idaho’s Darrick Gates in the second round and improved to 1-0-1 in just his second start as a pro.

Pacquiao pressed on early and dropped Gates twice before the referee stopped the fight at 1:34 of the second round.

This victory gives the 25-year-old his first professional victory after his debut fight ended in a draw.

Jimuel Pacquiao scores in stoppage time

“It’s a weight lifted off my shoulders,” Pacquiao said. “I learned so much in my first fight that I was able to apply it to training camp and at night.

“I have the best team in the world around me at Wild Card Boxing Club and today’s result is proof of that. The experience I am gaining is invaluable and I can’t wait to get back to work.”

Pacquiao took down Gates early in the second round, forcing a stoppage after scoring two knockdowns in quick succession.

Main event

Earlier in the evening, Pedro Taduran defended the IBF minimum weight world championship by defeating Mexican Gustavo Pérez Álvarez in the seventh round.

The Filipino champion scored four knockdowns during the fight before ending the fight at 1:34 of the seventh round.

“I am honored that my first fight in the United States was successful in defending my title,” said Taduran. “Pérez presented a novel challenge, but I coped with it quickly.

“This was my fourth title defense. I’ll talk to Sean Gibbons and I’ll be ready to face whoever’s next.”

Subtab

Lazaro Lorenzana scored a unanimous decision victory over Venezuelan Esneiker Correa in a middleweight fight, scoring a second-round knockout to secure a ten-round victory.

Józef Subia maintained his undefeated record with a majority decision victory over Francisco Casillas in a featherweight fight.

Paolo Barredo defeated Roberto Monreal by unanimous decision in a six-round lightweight fight.

Antonio Villegas he scored a first-round knockout in his professional debut against Alexander Nakamura, and Malikah Salazar also won in his debut, defeating Stephen Barbee by decision.

Pechanga Resort Casino Results

Pedro Taduran KO7 Gustavo Pérez Álvarez
Jimuel Pacquiao KO2 Darrick Gates
Lazaro Lorenzana Esneiker UD10 belt
Józef Subia MD4 by Francisco Casillas
Paolo Barredo UD6 Roberto Monreal
Antonio Villegas KO1 by Alexander Nakamura
Malikah Salazar UD4 by Stephen Barbee

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Since 2010, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported on in-ring performances. Read the full biography.