Brit Boxing Fight Recap: Aziz, Ball Win; Kozin Upsets Rankin

Saturday’s significant Brit boxing action took place in the UK with two cards, both available for American fans to enjoy. Thankfully, there are no snoozers like the one boxing fans are still talking about from Thursday night in Las Vegas.

Nathan Heaney scored the upset victory over Dentzel Bentley. Photo: Queensberry Promotions

Nathan Heaney of Stoke-on-Trent’s devoted fans packed the venue at the Manchester Arena. They were rewarded with an upset majority decision win by Heaney (18-0, 6 KOs) over Dentzel Bentley of London (18-3-1, 15 KOs). The action fight went the distance, with scores of 117-111 and 116-113 for Bentley and a 114-114 card. Heaney dropped to his knees, learning he was the new British and WBA Continental middleweight champion.

“It’s absolutely phenomenal,” said an elated Heaney, celebrating with his fans. “I needed to beat someone like Dentzel Bentley to prove I belong there. Now I’m a British champion.”

Heaney has been promised a title fight, likely against Janibek Alimkhanuly. He wants it staged at the Stoke soccer stadium. Queensberry Boxing promoter Frank Warren said he’d try to do it in the spring or summer of 2024.

A discouraged Bentley said, “He had the opportunity, and he took it. I don’t really think he landed anything better than I landed.”

Ball Defeats Dogboe

Nick Ball (right) won a wide decision over Isaac Dogboe. Photo: Queensberry Promotions

The co-main on the card was of most significant interest in the US. In a WBC featherweight title eliminator, current WBC Silver champion Nick Ball of Liverpool (19-0, 11 KOs) got the best of experienced Isaac Dogboe of Ghana (23-4, 15 KOs). Scores were 119-108, 118-109, and 116-111. Ball scored a questionable knockdown in the fourth round of Dogboe, but it wasn’t the deciding factor in the fight.

Ball, age 26, is the top-ranked featherweight contender, with Dogboe, age 29, right behind him. The fight was a crowd-pleasing contest, with both men unafraid to let their hands go, using very little of the ring. Dogboe has been in several tremendous wars, and his hands don’t have the speed or pop they used to. The spirit is still willing, and he still had a chance to the closing bell.

Of Healey and Ball, promoter Warren called them “Two of the nicest guys in boxing, a credit to British boxing. All the critics again got it wrong.”

Ema Kozin New Super Welterweight Champion

Hannah Rankin battled for the belts, but it was Ema Kozin who became a two-division champion Saturday. Photo: Queensberry Promotions

In a women’s world championship super welterweight title fight, challenger Ema Kozin of Slovenia (24-1-1, 12 KOs) heard those words “and the new” with a split decision win over Hannah Rankin of Scotland (13-7, 3 KOs). Kozin is now the WBC/WBO unified champion. Scores were 98-92 and 96-94 for Kozin and 96-94 for Rankin. The Slovenian southpaw came into the ring with a fierce look of determination, and she saw it through. Kozin’s only loss was to Claressa Shields in a middleweight fight in February 2022. She had never been defeated at super welterweight.

On the undercard, super bantamweight Liam Davies (15-0, 7 KOs) remains undefeated with a fifth-round TKO win over Vincenzo La Femina of Italy (13-1, 7 KOs). Crowd favorite Harry Scarff of Derby (13-2, 3 KOs) won an upset unanimous decision over Ekow Essuman of England via Botswana (19-1, 7 KOs).

Wolverhampton Highlights: Aziz and Riakporhe Remain Undefeated

Adam Azim put in solid work against Franck Pettijohn, scoring the stoppage. Photo: Lawrence Lustig, Boxxer

To the north, the Boxxer card in Wolverhampton featured super lightweight prospect Adam Azim. The protégé of Amir Khan, Azim of Berkshire (10-0, 7 KOs) had little trouble against French veteran Franck Pettijohn (24-7, 6 KOs). Azim took it to Pettijohn and put in solid work, which is valuable to a 21-year-old prospect with big ambitions.

Adam Azim breaks down Franck Petitjean to claim the European Super Lightweight belt! 🥊 pic.twitter.com/4VYZ6NYtQz

— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) November 18, 2023

Azim had Petitjean down once in the fifth and again in the tenth. The referee began the count following the barrage of punches by Azim against the ropes and cut himself short, declaring the end of the fight at 2:17 of the round. Azim was deducted one point in the ninth round for a low blow.

Azim hasn’t cracked the top 20 in the lightweight division, but he’s working hard to get there.

Big Win For Brit Boxing's Riakporhe

Richard Riakporhe looked solid after being out of the ring for ten months. Photo: Lawrence Lustig, Boxxer

Cruiserweight contender Richard Riakporhe of London (17-0, 13 KOs) wants a crack at Chris Billam-Smith’s WBO title. He took another step toward his goal with a vicious second-round TKO win over Dylan Bregeon of France (13-5-1, 3 KOs). It was target practice in a stay-busy fight for Riakporhe until Bregeon’s corner threw in the towel.

A closer look at how Riakporhe DEMOLISHED Bregeon 🔥@boxxer @R_Riakporhe pic.twitter.com/jBpJE1ioBM

— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) November 18, 2023

Billam-Smith is scheduled to fight on December 10. “Whoever wins between Chris Billam-Smith and Mateusz Masternak is going to get knocked out by The Midnight Train,” said Riakporhe.