JACK TURNER delivered a performance earlier this evening which, if nothing else, enhanced his reputation as one of the most exciting talents on these shores.
It was earlier this year that the Liverpudlian made even quicker work of Ryan Farrag, a typically durable campaigner, in what was supposed to be a stern test.
And, just like in March, ‘El Terrier’ was in no mood for going the distance on the undercard of Jack Rafferty vs Mark Chamberlain in Altrincham, Greater Manchester.
Rather surprisingly, though, Turner, 12-0 (11 KOs), did adopt a measured approach in the opening round where, other than a left hook – which he practically launched up through the canvas – the destructive super-flyweight opted to place particular emphasis on his fluid head movement.
Boasting the far superior skill set, the 23-year-old then sailed through an uneventful second round, encountering minimal difficulty before eating several spearing uppercuts in the following frame.
To his credit, Nicolas Muguruza – the away fighter – only expanded on his success through the remaining two minutes, giving an assertive effort, defined by sheer aggression, to offer his opponent plenty of resistance.
Turner then restored his momentum in the fourth round, landing the cleaner and more effective shots, only for Muguruza to fire back with his fierce combination punching.
In response, Turner seemed to take a safety-first approach to the following visit, maintaining his more educated footwork while, at the same time, lacking the same intensity that he possessed early doors.
Yet then, just as it appeared that he was losing focus, the Joe McNally-trained operator landed a crushing left hook from out of nowhere, sending Muguruza crashing down to the canvas.
The Argentinian, quite remarkably, scrambled back to his feet, only for Turner to then cement his sixth-round finish with a blistering flurry.
In his post-fight interview, the prolific knockout artist said: “All it takes is one punch, and I’ve got the power to change a fight. I thought I started a bit slow, but it was good to get the rounds in.”
