British Lionhearts earn convincing win over USA

Costa Mesa, California -- One if by land. Two if by sea. Three if by lefthook?

Team Great Britain Lionhearts invaded the Hangar in Orange County Thursday night in their first performance in the World Series of Boxing.

While the American team was there to slug, the British team relied on their boxing skill en route to a 4-1 road victory in a night featuring five, five-round fights. The event was promoted by Orange County’s most successful promoter, Roy Englebrecht.

The sole American win came when light heavyweight Kennedy Katende stopped Zlatko Ledic in the fifth. Katende, who usually fights for Sweden, was visibly jet-lagged and was caught napping backstage before the fight. However, it was Ledic who went to sleep from a solid Katende lefthook.

American fight fans were disturbed by the fight featuring heavyweight Uaine Fa, who was visibly gassed in the final three rounds of his bout with Avery Gibson. The Daily Sports Herald, at ringside, gave the fight to Gibson with a score of 48-47.

Meanwhile, the subsequent match between bantamweight Braulio Avila and Commonwealth Champion Sean McGoldrick was also close. Braulio won the opening rounds, but faded down the stretch.

Joe Cordina, an intriguing lightweight, boxed his way to a points win over the USA’s Eric Fowler. Also, in a middleweight match, an overconfident Anthony Fowler of the USA was knocked out in the second by Marquis Moore.

The World Series of Boxing allows promising fighters to compete in professional-style matches without jeopardizing their eligibility for the Olympics in international amateur competitions.

By Joe Hammond
Contributing Writer for The Daily Sports Herald