DANIEL LAPIN introduced Lewis Edmondson to an awkward chess match, filled with plenty of jabs and pivots, before edging a majority decision.
The two light-heavyweight operators squared off just moments ago, featuring on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois 2 at Wembley Stadium, London.
Prior to their encounter, Lapin, 12-0 (4 KOs), was considered a sizable favourite, while Edmondson, 11-1 (3 KOs), nonetheless represented a stern test for the talented technician.
Indeed, it was the Ukrainian’s technical prowess that saw him claim a tight points decision, with two scorecards of 96-94 swinging the result in his favour.
Both fighters set the tone early doors, engaging in a thinking-man’s fight which, perhaps unsurprisingly, included a fair amount of herky-jerky faints and slick defensive manoeuvres.
Lapin, as expected, aimed to control the range with his impossibly long levers, while Edmondson, to his credit, showed a greater willingness to trade leather at close quarters.
It was not long, though, before Lapin began to display his sharper footwork, often exiting the pocket whenever a degree of pressure threatened to disrupt his rhythm.
By the fourth round, his southpaw jab had become a prolific weapon, forcing Edmondson to reset after several unsuccessful attempts to close down the distance.
Lapin then injected a level of creativity into his long-range attacks, and after walking into a series of sharp counters, Edmondson’s desperation only saw him become increasingly reckless when stepping into range.
But the home fighter, in fairness, displayed few signs of losing hope while, at the same time, struggling to solve the puzzle in front of him.
Then, in the eighth round, Lapin twice almost found himself tumbling over the ropes, only for a promising spell from Edmondson to follow moments later.
The Southampton man’s strong end to the round certainly seemed to boost his confidence, yet it was his opponent who ultimately remained cool under pressure, restoring his early control before getting his hand raised.
Edmondson, however, still holds the British and Commonwealth titles at 175lbs, which he claimed with a majority decision victory over Dan Azeez last year.
