Taylor vs Linardatou results: Terri Harper, Martin Bakole pick up wins on undercard

Terri Harper is celebrating her 23rd birthday today, and the rising young super featherweight contender did it in style in the ring, outclassing game veteran Viviane Obenauf.

Judges scored the fight 97-93, 99-92, and 99-91 for Harper, while Bad Left Hook had the Yorkshire fighter pitching a shutout, scoring the bout 100-90 as Harper improves to 9-0 (5 KO) with the win.

Harper was aggressive and effective throughout the fight, never getting wild with that aggression, staying controlled and technical but pretty much always coming forward. Obenauf (14-6, 7 KO) had moments of success here and there, but wasn’t able to put much together in a sustained attack. She was tough, but Harper was simply the better fighter.

“That was the best birthday I’ve ever had in my life,” Harper said after the fight. “She’s a tough girl, but we’ve been practicing sitting and timing. I got to do a bit of everything in the ring tonight and get the rounds against a tough opponent.”

“She’s got a good talent. She’s 23 years old, that was her ninth fight. She only had 16 fights as an amateur. She’s a special kid,” trainer Stefy Bull said. “She’s ready for the likes of Ewa Brodnicka and them fighters now.”

Promoter Eddie Hearn sprung a surprise on Harper and Bull after their interviews, announcing that he’s got a deal in place for Harper to fight for a world title in Feb. 2020.

“We have agreed to terms with Eva Wahlstrom for the WBC world title to take place next year,” Hearn said. “That’s a big fight.”

“Christmas comes early for me!” Harper said in response to Hearn’s news.

Martin Bakole TKO-2 Rodney Hernandez

Photo By Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images

Hernandez (13-9-2, 4 KO) is a durable club fighter from California, but Bakole (15-1, 12 KO) just ran him over here. Hernandez started aggressively and won the first round, but Bakole felt him out that round, too, saw there was nothing to worry about, and in the second he just battered road fighter, dropping him late in the round, at which point the referee quickly and rightly stepped in.

Hernandez was coming off of a competitive distance loss to Joey Dawejko, and the only man who’d ever stopped him before was Efe Ajagba, whom Hernandez took into the fifth. It’s a solid win for Bakole, who just fought a couple weeks ago in a stoppage win over veteran Kevin Johnson. 2020 could be his year to break out.