LONDON – The dominant Ezra Taylor earned a stoppage win over his late-replacement opponent Steed Woodall at the O2 Arena in London, England.
Ezra, 13-0 (9 KOs), was scheduled to face the British light-heavyweight champion Lewis Edmondson on the undercard of Joseph Parker-Fabio Wardley, but Edmondson withdrew with a hip injury just six days out from the contest. Woodall replaced him with minimal notice, but struggled and was stopped 54 seconds into the ninth round.
It was clear who had had longer to prepare when they exchanged punches early in the opening round. Taylor, 31, looked sharp and focused when powering a left hand into Woodall’s face. Woodall, also 31 and a natural super middleweight, seemed to be struggling with the sheer size and speed of Taylor, and was tagged again by a whipping left hand. Woodall started the second round well when sending his left hand through the guard of Taylor, but his success didn’t last long. Taylor bobbed forwards with his head and fired in a right hand that snapped Woodall’s head back.
Woodall continued to come forwards behind his jab in the third but was met by hard shots from Taylor. Taylor was starting to plant his feet and throwing his right with more spite. Woodall came in again with a lazy jab, and Taylor punished him by sending a hard right over his guard. Woodall absorbed it well but was looking more and more wary of Taylor’s power. Taylor intensified his efforts midway through the fourth. He powered his jab into Woodall’s face and then fired in a hook that took Woodall by surprise. Taylor continued to power forwards when again nailing Woodall with his left hand and following it with a right.
They again traded early in the fifth, when Taylor landed a left to the body and Woodall returned fire with a right uppercut. Taylor looked unimpressed and responded by firing in an uppercut of his own, landing with more spite and hurting Woodall.
Taylor hurt Woodall again in the sixth, this time with a straight hand that forced Woodall into the ropes. Woodall, however, fought back well, when catching Taylor with a sharp jab. His struggles regardless continued in the seventh, when Taylor was landing hard and often and he offered little in return.
Woodall’s evening worsened in the ninth, when he was backed up to the ropes and Taylor started to unload on him as though he was a punch bag in the gym. Woodall’s corner responded by throwing in the towel to rescue him – much to his displeasure. His record fell to 20-4-1 (12 KOs).
The junior-lightweight prospect Royston Barney-Smith, 15-0 (7 KOs), had by then been dominant in victory over the previously undefeated Danny Quartermaine. Quartermaine was considered a step up for the 21-year-old Barney-Smith, but he eased past him via scores of 98-90, 100-88 and 100-88.
Both immediately pressed forwards with their lead hands. Quartermaine, 28, looked nervous with his movement, and swallowed a sharp left hand from Barney-Smith as he came in to land. Barney-Smith was dominant with his long southpaw jab, and Quartermaine swiftly appeared to run out of ideas. Quartermaine started getting frustrated in the second when lunging in in an attempt to land, but Barney-Smith had an answer for him every time and countered with his left.
The third followed a similar pattern, and late in the round, when Quartermaine again lunged in, Barney-Smith fired in a straight left hand that shook him. Quartermaine seemed to freeze in the center of the ring and Barney-Smith capitalized by hammering in a sharp left, but the bell sounded to save Quartermaine. Barney-Smith pushed forwards in a hope of ending the fight in the fourth, but struggled to pin Quartermaine down.
Quartermaine became reckless in the fifth, when awkwardly moving his head and again lunging in. He had some success – mainly with his forehead – but Barney-Smith continued to land his left hand. Quartermaine started to become rough in the sixth, but was then warned by the referee Marcus McDonnell for doing so. He regardless continued to be physical in the seventh, when barging his shoulder into Barney-Smith’s chest, leading to McDonnell deducting a point.
Quartermaine continued to lead with his shoulder, but Barney-Smith succeeded in outboxing him and couldn’t miss with his sharp left hand. Knowing that he was losing convincingly Quartermaine flung himself forwards in the ninth, planted his head on Barney-Smith’s chest, and hammered away at his body. Barney-Smith, however, regained control, and sent his right hand into Quartermaine’s face.
The final round of a lackluster contest began and Quartermaine continued to struggle. Barney-Smith landed a well-timed right hook as Quartermaine again lunged in and this time dropped his open opponent. Quartermaine returned to his feet, but Barney-Smith had him hurt again, this time with a left hand, but the bell again sounded to save Quartermaine. Both awaited the inevitable decision and Quartermaine falling to 13-1-1 (4 KOs) in defeat.
