Mark Jeffers and Viddal Riley score stoppages to set up big fights in 2025

LIVERPOOL – Mark Jeffers impressed with a third-round stoppage of Joshua Quartey at the Liverpool Exhibition Center.

Quartey found it tough to adapt to Jeffers’ handspeed and while Jeffers was a threat with his right, he sank in some lovely lefts to the body in the second, and they caused Quartey to slow up and to hold.

In the third, Jeffers, now 19-0 (7 KOs), continuously poured on the pressure and overwhelmed the Ghanaian with his volume, forcing the victor to twice hit the canvas before the referee intervened.

The first time Quartey was down through volume, and the second time was from a left hook, and by then he had just about had the resistance beaten out of him.

Kieran McCann stopped it at 2:42 of the third round. Quartey drops to 10-1 (9 KOs).

Jeffers’ victory sets up a North of England War of the Roses clash with Callum Simpson for the summer of 2025, possibly at Barnsley’s Oakwell Stadium. Simpson must first go through Steed Woodhall on January 11.

“Against a top fighter, you will see the best performances,” said Jeffers, who defended the Commonwealth super middleweight title.

Viddal Riley moved to 12-0 (7KOs) and toward an interesting fight with fellow Londoner Isaac Chamberlain with a two-round win over Yorkshireman Dan Garber. 

London cruiserweight Riley started aggressively, working behind his jab and trying to make space for a big right over the top. Garber’s high defense meant he was not often hit clean, but Riley was happy to take what he could get, landing on the arms, gloves and keeping Garber in his shell.

Riley searched out the body more in the second. The action was all going one way, and while Riley was often pitching, Garber was at least catching on his gloves, although he did not protest when – trapped in his own corner – Garber was stopped by referee John Latham at 2:35 of the second.

Garber, 39 years old, has been stopped in two of his last four, in one round by Moses Itauma and in eight by Irishman Thomas Carty. He is now 7-4 (2 KOs).