Super featherweight prospect Jordan Flynn had been due to face the swift fists of Cameron Vuong but instead was faced with late-replacement Tampela Maharusi, from Tanzania, and Flynn notched a successful six-round win by 59 points to 54.
Maharusi arrived with plenty of ambition and the fight was keenly contested, with the African enjoying some good moments in the third and landing some shots in the fourth, while being unable to contain Flynn’s movement, as the Englishman darted in and out landing straight shots before retreating out of range.
Maharusi, who still whistled over a few overhand rights, seemed to slow as the fight wore on but he was always tricky, awkward and that made him dangerous and it was an invaluable six-round experience for Flynn who, trained by Grant Smith, is 10-0-1 (1 KO). Maharusi is now 10-4-4.
“It was good to get the rounds in, it felt good,” said Flynn. “I didn’t know anything about this guy, he was a decent little fighter and I got the rounds in. That was the main thing.”
Flynn and Vuong, who said the delay was due to a shoulder injury, got into a shoving match in the ring afterwards and promoter Eddie Hearn said it was likely on the way for June.
Michael Gomez Jr. and Kane Baker set about one another like they wanted to win Fight of the Year as they opened up the televised portion of the DAZN show in Manchester topped by Jordan Gill and Zelfa Barrett.
Baker, busier and more industrious early on, started landing right hands but English super featherweight champion Gomez refused to take a backward step.
Heads crashed together in a frantic third round and both picked up cuts by their right eyes. They set a ferocious pace, but in the opening moments of the sixth (of a scheduled 10) Gomez broke through with successive right uppercuts and Baker went down face first in a heap.
He was groggy and referee Mark Lyson took a close look at him when instructing Baker to step towards him.
It was allowed to continue, but as Gomez lashed away with both hands he whipped over a right that crashed off the side of Baker’s face and put him flat on his back and Lyson immediately stopped it 36 seconds into the sixth round.
“I was relaxed all the way through,” said Gomez, who called out British champion Reece Bellotti afterwards. “There was no way I was leaving here without knocking him out. It was a matter of time. The referee done the right thing. I was one shot away from probably knocking him spark out.”
Baker is now 19-11 (1 KO) while Gomez improves to 21-1 (6 KOs).