SHEFFIELD, England – Bilal Fawaz defeated Junaid Bostan in a thrilling encounter for the English junior middleweight title via majority 10-round decision.
The pair had squared off in January with the bout being scored a split decision draw - and Fawaz feeling he had been hard done by. After several postponements, the rematch was finally signed for the Utilita Arena and it was certainly worth the wait. Both men had to come through rough patches, and both fought like their careers depended on it – which, in truth, both careers probably did. There was bad blood throughout the build up, and the pair fought like they were sworn enemies, refusing to take a backwards step for much of the contest. At the end of the bout Fawaz had found respect for the the 23-year-old Bostan, but unfortunately the feeling wasn’t mutual as Bostan shrugged off an embrace and chose to celebrate instead.
Fawaz, 37, was the man celebrating in the end, however, as he was awarded the victory by the finest of margins with scores of 96-95 (twice) and 95-95. Fawaz rose to 10-1-1 (3 KOs) with the standout win of his career, and although he revealed this week that he had recently acquired a licence to drive with Uber, perhaps he won't need it after this thrilling performance.
Bostan seemed more comfortable in the opener than in any of the 10 rounds he shared with Fawaz back in January. He was moving less and preventing Fawaz from steaming forwards by snapping in his sharp jab. Fawaz continued to creep forwards with his hands up high, but Bostan was able to strike through the Nigerian’s high guard and land a solid right. Fawaz turned the intensity up a notch and started to find some success, pressing forwards with more intent, and landed a solid left hand over the top of Bostan’s jab.
The Nigerian’s confidence continued to grow in the third, as he pressed forward and landed a scrappy left that cut the right eye of Bostan, who fought back, but was sloppy with his defense as he landed a sharp jab. Fawaz fired a right hand that span Bostan’s chin and turned his legs to jelly. Fawaz sensed his opportunity and unloaded on Bostan as he waltzed helplessly trying to hold onto Fawaz, trying not to go down. Bostan survived the round, just, and had to be helped to his stool by his worried trainer Grant Smith.
After a talking-to from Smith, Bostan was late out of his corner for the fourth session, seemingly hoping to delay the oncoming storm that was about to hit him. Fawaz pressed forwards, throwing everything at Bostan in an attempt to finish the job early.
Fawaz’s shots bounced off Bostan’s head, and it seemed any of them would again send his legs into swirl, but he stood firm, and Fawaz’s pressure started to dip. It seemed as though he had punched himself out, and Bostan took full advantage. It was his turn to be the aggressor, and he pinned the tiring Fawaz up against the ropes, and seemed to hurt the Nigerian with a left hand. Bostan kept firing, now with his hands by his ears – he wasn’t taking the risk of his guard being low again. The bell sounded after a frantic fourth, the pair locked eyes as Bostan taunted his foe, then returned to his corner as he waved on the crowd for support.
The non-stop action continued in the fifth, with Fawaz not able to force Bostan back like earlier in the contest. Bostan was now the man pushing the action.
In the sixth, Bostan again had Fawaz up against the ropes, but as things got scrappy the referee Michael Alexander called break, and Bostan seemed to not hear it, or maybe ignored it, and landed a crunching right that knocked the gumshield out of Fawaz’s mouth. Fawaz argued with Alexander, yearning to get stuck into Bostan after the foul, but the referee gave a warning to the young Bostan.
Bostan again was the aggressor in the eighth, but as the session went on his intensity seemed to dip, maybe now he was feeling the pace, and Fawaz sensed it. He upped his workrate and landed a hard left over Bostan’s guard, followed by a right which, unfortunately for Fawaz, was followed by the bell. Bostan’s shots weren’t landing with the same snap and Fawaz was able to now take the center ring. Fawaz landed a crunching right, to which Bostan responded by lunging forwards and bundling Fawaz into the ropes. Both men finished the session trading blows as they attempted to sink in a body shot before the round’s close.
The ninth was scrappy, with both men seemingly feeling the pace. The fight was close, and surely neither was confident heading into the final session, and as the bell sounded for the 10th the pair instantly started swinging after a quick handshake. Fawaz looked the fresher of the two and Bostan seemed weary. Bostan swung in a left hand to the body that missed by a long way, and it was greeted by Fawaz’s right hand. Bostan tried desperately to land something to steal the final session, but the bell sounded before he could land anything of note.
Fawaz then went to embrace his foe after 10 grueling rounds together, but Bostan quickly turned his back. Fawaz didn’t care, and hugged his back, with Bostan shrugging him off before returning to his corner to celebrate. Fawaz was disappointed with his opponent, but respectfully waited for the judges’ verdict which went his way. Where Bostan goes from here is for him and promoter Eddie Hearn to decide.
