By Mark Vester

Super middleweight prospect Darren Sutherland (3-0, 3KOs) took a shot at his counterpart, prospect James DeGale, by stopping Georgia's Vepkhia Tchilaia (9-10, 5KOs) in four rounds at Fenton Manor Leisure Complex in Stoke.

The fight was all Sutherland from the start. He appeared to be too strong and too big for Tchilaia. He battered the Georgian fighter against the ropes in the fourth, forcing the stoppage.

“I’m happy with my performance as I felt I was patient, and I worked behind my jab, and I was not trying to rush anything. He was tough though, no doubt about it. I thought he was going to go earlier. But I kept my patience. The important thing for me is to get rounds under my belt at this stage,” Sutherland said.

Coming into the fight, the Olympic bronze medal winner wanted to outdo DeGale, who fought Tchilaia in his pro-debut back in February. DeGale was taken the four round distance in that fight and his performance was attacked by the critics. Sutherland had lost to DeGale, the gold medal winner, in the Olympics. The stage is set early on for the two rivals to clash at some point in their pro careers.

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