After suffering his first pro loss back in March against Scott Fitzgerald, Anthony Fowler bounced back with a solid win over veteran and former world title challenger Brian Rose today in Liverpool, winning a clear unanimous decision over 10 rounds.
Rose (31-6-1, 8 KO) still looked like he had enough in the tank to test up-and-comers, but the 34-year-old fighter is certainly past his prime, and Fowler (10-1, 8 KO) was able to box effectively behind his jab, though the fight did step up in excitement down the stretch, with Rose having a little success late, including causing a cut on Fowler’s right eyebrow. But Fowler closed as well as he started, hurting Rose in the 10th and final round and putting an exclamation point on it.
Fowler said he’s open to a rematch with Fitzgerald, who is likely going to face British 154-pound champion Ted Cheeseman this fall.
Rose said he felt like he was second on everything in the fight, sounding a bit dejected by being beaten soundly over the distance. Rose sounded like he’d consider retirement, but Fowler said he felt Rose has plenty left to continue on.
Scores were 97-93, 98-92, and 98-92. BLH had it just a bit wider, at 99-91 for Fowler.
Robbie Davies Jr TKO-3 Michal Dufek
Davies (19-1, 13 KO) has held the European and Commonwealth titles at 140 and still holds the British belt, which it looks like he’ll defend in November against Lewis Ritson, who also won on this card. Here he stayed busy ripping Dufek (25-22-2, 18 KO), a veteran who’s nowhere near Davies’ level, but in all fairness Davies did what he should have, so you can give him that.
Post-fight got interesting. Asked about Ritson, Davies said, “I’m a champion. I’ve got a target on me back. Everybody wants me. Lewis Ritson’s just another name in the hat.” Davies went on to basically shit on the fight right in Eddie Hearn’s face, saying he wants to fight a bigger name. Hearn had to kinda jumble-talk his way into saying the fans wanting Davies-Ritson, because it’s clear that this is the fight Matchroom want to do, probably in November. It’s not a bad fight, either, and in all reality probably right on Davies’ real level, as opposed to the real top guys at 140, who are all probably a good deal too much for him. But you have to respect the desire, anyway. He wants to find out.
John Docherty PTS-4 Darryl Sharp
Sharp (5-57-1, 0 KO) came in on short notice to do his usual job. He’s only ever been stopped once — by Liam Williams in April 2018 — and gave Docherty (6-0, 5 KO) a distance run for the first time, even if it was only four rounds. Docherty, 21, is a young Scottish prospect at 168/175, and he’d never been past the second round before this one.
Lewis Ritson TKO-3 Marek Jedrzejewski
Ritson (19-1, 12 KO) was facing a late notice opponent here in Jedrzejewski (14-3, 13 KO), and he did his job in the fashion he should have. This was the type of showing he needed following his loss to Francesco Patera last October and a so-so showing in victory against German Benitez in March. Ritson, 25, isn’t going to legitimately challenge for world titles or anything, but there’s plenty of career left for him. Jedrzejewski was hurt on a body shot, dropped, and just never really recovered, with Ritson pouring on the pressure late in the third until the referee rightly stepped in.
Jack Cullen TKO-8 John Harding Jr
I’ve been wanting to see Cullen, 25, since back in May, when he won the vacant English middleweight title and I saw that his nickname is “Little Lever’s Meat Cleaver.” He didn’t disappoint, outclassing a game Harding (7-1-1, 1 KO), dropping his man in the fifth round and finishing late in the eighth. Harding, 34, gave this all he had, including a good shot in the seventh where he hurt Cullen (17-1, 8 KO) enough to give it one last-ditch effort at a rally, which didn’t pan out. It was a fun fight, Cullen showed some legitimate promise, and he’s a 6’3” middleweight, which is always going to be at least a little interesting.
Thomas Essomba UD-10 Sean McGoldrick
McGoldrick, 27, came in unbeaten and the on-paper favorite, but anyone who knew the 31-year-old veteran Essomba knew McGoldrick wasn’t in easy here, and he wasn’t. Essomba (9-5, 3 KO) is a significantly better fighter than his winning percentage would lead you to believe — not world level, but very capable, a former Commonwealth flyweight champ who has always fought tough, even in defeat. McGoldrick (9-1, 2 KO) got a bit of a reality check here, outboxed by the Cameroonian and struggling after a cut. McGoldrick and his team had no complaints about the cards (96-94, 97-93, 98-93), and shouldn’t have. It’s back to the drawing board for him, and Essomba picks up a minor WBA belt with this win.