Maxi Hughes got back to winning ways on Friday night but had to work hard for his victory.
Hughes lost a world title eliminator to William Zepeda in March and hasn’t boxed since. Without a date and desperate to stop the rust from accumulating, Hughes, 34, asked GBM’s Izzy Asif for a slot on Friday night’s show and was matched with Greece’s Efstathios Antonas over six rounds at lightweight.
Hughes (27-7-2, 6 KOs) wasn’t matched with a compliant opponent willing to play the game and allow him to feel his way back. On paper, Antonas (7-3-2, 2 KOs) didn’t appear to be in Hughes’ class, but he came to win and made Hughes work for every second the fight lasted.
Hughes was stung by Antonas’ long, straight shots in the opening round and looked uncomfortable on a couple of other occasions as the relatively unknown Greek fighter tried desperately to spring a massive upset.
Hughes’ quality kept him half a step ahead throughout, but he certainly felt the pace and told his corner as much before answering the bell for the sixth and final round.
Hughes brought a swift end to what could have been a tricky final three minutes. A massive right hook floored Antonas heavily, and after he clambered to his feet, Hughes ended matters with a clean left.
It wasn’t the prettiest or cleanest win of Hughes’ career, but it was a very important night’s work.
“He was up for that and he was trying,” Hughes said of Antonas. “I got off to a bit of a rocky start and I thought my feet weren’t in place. He caught me on the top of the head. It buzzed me for a couple of seconds, but I thought, ‘I know where I am, get back on the jab and get working.’ That obviously gave him confidence, and he pressed the fight.
“I felt his power and felt his strength, but I had to show my class. I had to dig in there. I was feeling the pace and feeling his size. He made me work for it. Sean [O’Hagan, my coach] sent me out for the last round and said he was tiring, and not to stand and fight with him. My instinct was to stand and fight. I think it was a right hook that caught him on the button which sent him down. He never recovered, and the straight left ended it.”
Hughes battled away on the British scene for years before earning a shot at the big time.
Last summer, he traveled to Oklahoma and appeared to outbox Australia’s former unified lightweight champion George Kambosos, but Hughes lost a controversial majority decision.
Whilst Kambosos went on to fight the brilliant Vasyl Lomachenko for the vacant IBF title, Hughes was rewarded with a trip to Las Vegas and a final eliminator with the ferocious William Zepeda, and was stopped after four brutal rounds.
Hughes’ American experiences haven’t dampened his enthusiasm or self-belief, and he still harbors hopes of a return to world level. After beating Antonas, he called for a rematch with Kambosos.
“I’m as ambitious as ever,” Hughes said. “I know my age – on paper, I’m a veteran – but I feel as young as ever. I feel like I’m in the prime of my life. Much to my wife and my mum’s dismay, I’ve got another run in me. I feel I can get back to world level and challenge myself in the best fights, so that was a good stepping stone. We’ve now got a win in a good fight, so let’s see what happens in the future.
“There’s a certain Australian watching this fight. That’s what a real Greek warrior is like. George ‘Kambozo,’ that’s a real Greek warrior, not no phony. If George is going to be man enough, I’ve been calling for you since our fight, so come over here. You said you want to come to the U.K. Let’s get over. See if you can handle one of them.”
John Evans has contributed to a number of well-known publications and websites for over a decade. You can follow John on X @John_Evans79.