EZRA Taylor sent out an important message to his 175-pound rivals by stopping Steed Woodall in round nine earlier this evening. The fight favourite started swiftly and was just too fast, fresh and ferocious for a brave yet outgunned foe.
After eight-plus rounds of activity that steadily decreased in its competitiveness, at 54 seconds of round nine, the red corner retired their fighter with a wave of the towel. Taylor is now the WBA Continental Gold light-heavyweight champion, which is a daft title that should not exist. It does, however, guarantee a little nudge up the rankings.
Hopefully, Taylor will meet Lewis Edmondson in 2026. The pair were set to fight here before the Southampton man withdrew in fight week with an injury.
The early going saw a battle of the jabs, mostly being won by Taylor, who carried the snappier handspeed. Woodall’s boxing fundamentals and upper body movement have always been sound as he tried to unleash the right hand.
Boxing with bespoke stained glass window trunks, Taylor cranked up the heat in the fourth, planting his feet and launching some heavier shots with both paws.
Taylor’s straight jab, complemented by some hardcore body shots, was sucking the energy out of Birmingham man Woodall. Taylor slashed away at Woodall’s eyes as the scars of battles grew.
Standing strong and proud, Woodall was taking a lot of punishment through the eighth as everyone, including Nottingham’s Taylor, wondered how much more leather he could sustain.
By the time the ninth round rolled around, referee Mark Bates looked on closely, only to be beaten to it by Woodall’s corner as their man sat against the ropes being battered from pillar to post.
It was a fair and compassionate stoppage that sees Woodall fall to 20-4-1 (12 KOs), while the victor improves to 13-0 (9 KOs) and, at 31, is set for a move up in levels.
