GLASGOW, Scotland – Willy Hutchinson got his career back on track with an impressive seventh-round stoppage of Mark Jeffers at the Braehead Arena.
The contest was Jeffers’ first up at light heavyweight. The traveling fighter, from Chorley, England, has struggled for opportunities throughout his professional career and perhaps was only given the contest against Hutchinson because of his poor showing in his defeat to Sean Hemphill back in June, but the Scot was too big and too clever for his smaller opponent.
It was Hutchinson, now 19-2 (14 KOs), who started the contest on the front foot, landing a stiff jab early on. Hutchinson, 27, switched stances throughout the opener and seemed to confuse Jeffers, who seemingly couldn’t come to terms with the elusive style in front of him. Jeffers again struggled in the second and Hutchinson seemed to grow in confidence as the round went on. He controlled the pace with his sharp left jab and planted a hard right into Jeffers’ ribs. Hutchinson felt comfortable and relaxed, floating around the ring with his arms by his side.
Jeffers, 27, upped the pace in the third and the tide started to turn. The fight was now being fought at close range, and that suited Jeffers. He started to unload short, sharp shots on the inside, with a hard right hand the pick of the bunch. Hutchinson was still able to land his jab, seemingly at will, on the shorter Jeffers, but he was taking punishment back. Jeffers would almost take one to give one, and throw his right hand over the top of Hutchinson’s jab.
Hutchinson was showboating in the fifth, which was odd because it was not the kind of fight that merited it. Hutchinson was slipping Jeffers’ shots, and made sure the traveling Englishman knew about it, but Jeffers was still landing. Late in the session Hutchinson backed onto the ropes with his hands down, taunting Jeffers to come forwards. Jeffers gladly accepted the invitation and planted a firm body shot into the Scot’s midsection.
Hutchinson continued to taunt Jeffers in the sixth but it seemed the Scot was feeling the pace. Jeffers piled on the pressure and Hutchinson slipped around and tied the Englishman up while taking deep breaths. Hutchinson was certainly up on the cards, and he knew it, but there was still a way to go. The fight became scrappy in the seventh, with Hutchinson slipping and sliding but also throwing short counters to the body.
The pace dipped late in the session when Hutchinson threw a hard overhand right that landed on the top of Jeffers’ head and shook him down to his boots. Jeffers was hurt badly and Hutchinson pounced on his wounded prey, hurling another hard right at the damaged area. Two more haymakers from Hutchinson landed with only the ropes keeping Jeffers from falling. The referee John Latham jumped in before Hutchinson could dish out any more punishment and saved Jeffers for another day. The time of the stoppage was 2.15 of Round 7. Jeffers fell to 20-2 (7 KOs) after suffering the first stoppage defeat of his career.
