Filip Hrgovic carded a ten-round decision against David Adeleye at heavyweight, but one specific round in the fight stole the show.
The eighth session immediately entered the Round of the Year contention as Hrgovic and Adeleye waged war in a back-and-forth three minutes.
Hrgovic dropped Adeleye with a stunning right hand seconds after the Briton shouted in his face for hurting him earlier in the round. What followed was nothing short of remarkable.
On unsteady legs and in no position to retaliate, Adeleye stunned Hrgovic with a counter assault, landing a series of haymaker bombs as the Croatian somehow absorbed every shot.
The final two rounds paled into insignificance after that unforgettable stanza, but Adeleye seemed to come of age despite showing moments of disinterest during the contest.
A cut over Hrgovic’s eye, sustained in the second round, was handled superbly by trainer Abel Sanchez as the Croatian pushed through to victory. The scorecards read 99-90 twice and 98-91 in his favor, moving Hrgovic another step closer to an elusive world title shot.
Tsutsumi wins
Following Hrgovic vs Adeleye, Hayato Tsutsumi figured Qias Ashfaq out in two rounds and began deconstructing his opponent from then on.
Ashfaq hit the canvas multiple times until the referee stepped in during the third session.
Elsewhere on the undercard, Raymond Ford boxed well to claim a unanimous points win over Abraham Nova.
In the opener, Saudi favorite Mohammed Alakel delighted the Riyadh crowd with a spectacular first-round knockout of Yumnam Santosh Singh.
About the Author
Phil Jay is a veteran boxing journalist with over 15 years of experience covering the global fight scene. As Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News since 2010, Jay has interviewed dozens of world champions and reported ringside on boxing’s biggest nights. [View all articles by Phil Jay] and learn more about his work in combat sports journalism.