Big-time boxing returned to Sheffield for the first time in two years and it was certainly a night to remember.
Kid Galahad was making the first defence of his IBF world featherweight title against Spain’s Kiko Martinez in his home city, while WBC and IBO super featherweight champion Terri Harper returned to the ring after a year of frustration caused by two injuries to her right hand.
When attending the fight week events in the build-up to the action at the Utilita Arena, there was a sense of excitement in the air. The county of Yorkshire has often turned to the Leeds Warrior Josh Warrington to deliver the big fight nights in recent years, but now Galahad and Harper were looking to become a part of a rich boxing history associated with the White Rose county.
As ever when any big sporting event arrives in Yorkshire, the fans turn out in numbers and are vocal with their support which was certainly the case from the first fight of the night between Raven Chapman and Karina Kopinska to the main event.
The main card got underway with what promoter Eddie Hearn labelled a ‘Steffy Bull Classic’ between James Flint and Dom Hunt for the vacant Central Area welterweight title. Both men produced a thrilling fight and left it all in the ring, but it was Hunt who triumphed on referee Howard Foster’s scorecard 40-35. The Wakefield man’s range and size proved too much for Flint who put in a valiant effort.
Exciting super featherweight prospect Donte Dixon’s slick movement impressed the Sheffield crowd in his comprehensive points win against a shaky Jordan McCorry, while there was plenty of room for improvement for Chris Billam-Smith who successfully defended his European cruiserweight title against France’s Dylan Bregeon in a physical affair.
Following Billam-Smith’s victory, the noise levels inside the Utilita Arena went up as Harper’s devoted fanbase began to make themselves heard after making the short trip to Sheffield from Doncaster. As previously mentioned, this fight against America’s Alycia Baumgardner marked the end of a frustrating 12 months for Harper and despite the raucous reception she received at the start of her ring walk, ‘The Belter’ looked tense before the first bell.
After being out of the ring for a year, there are bound to be nerves, but for someone like Harper who during interviews with DAZN News and at the fight week events looked relaxed, it didn’t seem right.
Baumgardner was fired up for this world title shot and she didn’t give Harper room to breathe throughout the contest, and her aggression paid off after a brutal right hand in the fourth stunned the former world champion.
A huge amount of credit has to go to referee Mark Lyson who immediately stopped the fight once he realised Harper was unable to continue, and trainer Dave Coldwell echoed this praise when speaking exclusively to DAZN News.
“We’re quick to give referees a lot of s—t when they mess up but listen that was brilliant refereeing,” Coldwell said.
“He spotted the danger straightaway. I knew people were booing, but they didn’t see her face. Terri Harper was facing out to where we were sat and she was gone, so a great bit of refereeing.”
For many fans and experts, the Harper loss was going to be the only shock of the night, but then came the main event.
Kiko Martinez is a name which many British fans will be accustomed to, the Spaniard has fought plenty of times on these shores and at the age of 35 was predicted to be an easy first defence for Kid Galahad.
For the first third of the fight, it seemed like it. Galahad before the fight claimed he was going smash Martinez ‘from pillar to post’ and he was doing exactly that. As chants of ‘Barry’ rung around the arena, Galahad established the jab early and his brutal body shots were taking their toll on Martinez who was throwing wayward punches
However, as ever with boxing, one shot can change everything, and Martinez lived up to that billing in the closing seconds of the fifth with a right hook and sent Galahad to the canvas. Luckily for the Ingle Gym fighter he met referee Steve Gray’s count and then the game changing round came to a close.
Now the usual strategy after being knocked down so close to the end of a round would be to very defensive and regain composure, an instruction which Dave Coldwell believed should have been given in Galahad’s corner.
“I’d have said ‘Hold him and don’t get hit, keep out of his way’. Just be negative and nullify and don’t get caught by any of swings,” Coldwell told DAZN News.
“Grab him, lock him up, get through the round. Nothing aggressive.”
Galahad on the other hand didn’t go defensive and within the first four seconds of the sixth was hit with another right hook which kept the 31-year-old on the floor.
Amongst a chorus of boos from the Sheffield crowd Martinez celebrated becoming a two-weight world champion while leaving many at ringside including Coldwell in shock.
“I’m genuinely shocked from what I’ve seen tonight. I can’t express how one sided that one fight was and how in control Kid Galahad was.
“But that’s what’s beautiful about this sport, that’s why I love this sport. That’s why when you see something like that, this sport grabs hold of you because one shot can turn it around and turn your opinions to dust, it can make careers, it can break careers.”
But what next following a night of shocks in the Steel City, for Galahad, a rematch against Martinez, while Harper could be set for a rebuild in the eyes of Coldwell.
“It wasn’t just a one-shot job like Kid Galahad, she [Terri Harper] was getting beat,” Coldwell explained to DAZN News.
“Maybe bring her back with a fight to make her feel good about herself again. She’s been out for a long time and probably forgotten about that winning feeling.
“Let her get a win and go again.
“Steffy has done a great job on her, and Eddie Hearn has done a great job on building her, they’ll bring her back in the right way.”
For Sheffield’s first night of major boxing in two years, it was certainly one to remember, but many didn’t expect the Steel City to be silenced so quickly on a cold winter’s night in South Yorkshire.