Josh Taylor made an emphatic statement in his first fight as a unified world champion, defending his WBA and IBF junior welterweight world titles with a first-round stoppage over mandatory challenger Apinun Khongsong from BT Studio at York Hall.
The time of the stoppage was 2:41, as Taylor (17-0, 13 KOs) brutalized Khongsong (16-1, 13 KOs) with a left hand to the liver. He is now in line to face WBC/WBO world champion Jose Ramirez in early 2021 for the undisputed championship.
Bantamweight: Charlie Edwards (16-1, 6 KOs) PTS 10 Kyle Williams (11-3, 3 KOs). Referee Scorecard: 99-91. Former WBC flyweight world champion Edwards is now a bantamweight contender, as he outboxed noted spoiler Williams in the co-feature. Edwards moved up following his no contest against Julio Cesar Martinez last August, which ended after Martinez struck Edwards while he was on the canvas.
Junior Featherweight: Ionut Baluta (14-2, 3 KOs) TKO 3 Davey Oliver Joyce (12-2, 9 KOs). The year of the upset continues for Baluta, as the Romanian-born boxer-puncher bested former world champion TJ Doheny in March. Baluta knocked down Joyce with a left hook in the third round and unloaded with a follow-up combination, prompting referee Steve Gray to stop the fight.
