JAZZA Dickens has extended his Indian summer with yet another tremendous win, stopping Olympic champion Albert Batyrgaziev in the fourth round of their super-featherweight contest.
The pair squared off in Istanbul, Turkiye, earlier this evening, with their main event showdown delivering a largely one-sided affair that saw Dickens claim his WBA interim title.
Entering their contest following a sizable upset victory over Zelfa Barrett in February, it is fair to say that the former world title challenger had plenty of momentum behind him.
But even so, most did not expect him to produce a performance of such dominance, with the emphatic display now only strengthening his world-level credentials at 130lbs.
Both combatants got off to a quick start, though Dickens remained marginally more active behind his jab, doing just enough to pinch the opening round.
The Liverpudlian then began to impose his superior size on Batyrgaziev, who showcased a tidy pair of feet while struggling to find much success on the inside.
With Dickens marching forward, it was at short-range where he soon began to trouble his opponent, landing a series of chopping hooks at close quarters.
Equally, the 34-year-old displayed a robust defensive shape, and it was not long before he stung his opponent with a long left hand out of the southpaw stance.
The shot sent Batyrgaziev crashing down to the canvas, and while he managed to scramble back to his feet, the Russian was nonetheless forced to soak up a punishing barrage of attacks moments later.
Sure enough, it was then another left hand – this one delivered with even more venom – that led to a second knockdown, which ultimately inspired Batyrgaziev’s corner to throw in the towel.
Among those congratulating Dickens in the ring, meanwhile, was Tyson Fury, who insisted just yesterday that he would only return to boxing for a trilogy with Oleksandr Usyk.
