KURT Walker defeated Lyon Woodstock by majority decision over 10 rounds in Belfast’s SSE Arena. Once a solid operator around British and English title level, Woodstock lost back-to-back domestic efforts to Zelfa Barrett (Commonwealth title) and Anthony Cacace (British title) over two years later.
The Leicester man entered Belfast on a good run of form but Walker was too sharp and snappy with his combinations. The Lisburn man is not a puncher but his stinging blows kept Woodstock honest over five or six carbon copy sessions, before Woodstock tightened things up down the stretch.
Tommy McCarthy and Steven Ward opened the DAZN broadcast with Ward prevailing by sixth-round stoppage. McCarthy hit the deck at the close of round two for a count and was cut around the right eyebrow in the third.
‘The Quiet Man’ made some noise in the sixth with another heavy attack that ended in Hugh Russell Jr’s intervention, along with Paddy Gallagher and Mark Ginley in Tommy’s corner. Howard Foster, Ron Kearney and Marcus McDonnell were the unused judges.
Earlier in the evening, Ruadhan Farrell was too active for Gerard Hughes, winning 79-73. Hughes enjoyed success to the body but didn’t land often enough. His nose bled throughout the seventh and ‘Short Fuse’ lacked the added aggression his nickname would suggest.
On the deeper undercard, The ‘Golden Turkish Warrior’, Elif Nur Turhan, blasted away a stunned Shauna Browne inside a minute of their 10-round affair.
Browne entered with momentum following a recent split decision win in Australia. She was caught by a thudding left hook in the opener that left Browne down and out of the world title eliminator.
Howard Foster, Ron Kearney and Marcus McDonnell were the unused judges. Promoter Eddie Hearn namechecked Caroline Dubois as a future possible opponent.
“This fight will show that women boxers are good for the fight,” said Turhan who is keen on a scrap with any of the well-known female champions.
Jack O’Neill outpointed Mohammed Wako 39-36. Wako went down in round three. Aaron Bowen defeated Juan Cruz Cacheiro 60-54.
