AARON MCKENNA and Kieron Conway will meet in an intriguing Britain vs Eire semi-final after surging to stoppage wins of their Prizefighter quarter-finals.
Within the first combat evening of Matchroom’s new Japanese enterprise, all 4 quarter-finals occurred and there have been fireworks throughout the quartet of 10-round middleweight showdowns on the Yamato Enviornment in Suite.
Northampton’s Conway made a flying begin within the first combat of the evening, seeing off Ainiwaer Yilixiati of China within the seventh spherical. Yilixiati was unbeaten since 2017 however Conway proved his class and it was an enormous proper hand which ultimately compelled the referee to wave issues off with a minute left within the seventh.
Along with his place within the final 4 assured, Conway may then sit again and see who he could be preventing subsequent with McKenna taking over Florida’s Jeovanny Estela within the evening’s second quarter-final and a battle of two undefeated middleweights.
Estela had made an excellent begin to the competition and landed with an enormous proper hand within the first spherical which McKenna took nicely. And the Los Angeles primarily based Irishman quickly acquired a foothold within the combat and rocked Estela with an enormous left hook within the fourth.
From then on it was the McKenna present as he started to interrupt Estela down, touchdown with exhausting pictures to go and physique. It was turning right into a one-sided beatdown however Estela someway made it till the ultimate spherical on his toes.
Nonetheless, McKenna wouldn’t denied his cut up of the evening’s knockout bonus, with $100,000 cut up between whoever can finish their combat inside the space, by securing a stoppage with lower than a minute remaining within the tenth.
Within the combat of the evening, Kazuto Takesako secured a unanimous choice victory over Durham’s Mark Dickinson in quarter-final three. The pair have been evenly matched and had their very own pockets of success all through the conflict. By the tenth, they each opened fireplace seeking a late stoppage of their very own however they have been nonetheless standing as the ultimate bell rang.
The scorecards have been learn out in Japanese that means Dickinson would have had no thought he was the crushed man till Takesako’s hand was raised. The judges’ scorecards learn 96-94, 97-93 and 98-92 all in favour of the Tokyo resident.
The fourth and last quarter last of the evening and the nominal primary occasion was an all-Japan derby between native favorite Riki Kunimoto and Eiki Kani, in what was a rematch of their March conflict in Nagoya.
That evening, Kunimoto received through a sixth-round stoppage however Kani arrived right here clearly looking for revenge. He didn’t have an excessive amount of success within the opening two rounds however began to land with actual authority within the third because the combat ignited.
However Kunimoto roared again within the fourth and despatched Kani stumbling again to the ropes with a proper hook after 60 seconds of the spherical. What adopted was a relentless onslaught from Kunimoto however Kani someway managed to hold in there.
A left hook inside the ultimate minute of the spherical harm Kani once more, nonetheless, and with extra punches raining down on him the referee seemed to be contemplating a stoppage. Kani made it to the bell nevertheless it was extra of the identical early within the fifth and the referee determined to step in with 1:55 remaining.
Kunimoto will now get his likelihood at revenge towards Takesako, who’s the one man to have crushed him. The pair met in Could 2021 with Takesako securing a stoppage within the first spherical however three years on they may meet with a spot within the last at stake.
“There’s heaps extra to return,” mentioned Matchroom CEO Frank Smith of the evening. “However this was an thrilling begin.”
