On May 29 at York Hall in London, Charlie Edwards vs Sikho Nqotole headlines an MF Pro fight card, live on DAZN. The main event will be an IBF super flyweight final eliminator.
We’ll bring you all the results from the Charlie Edwards vs Sikho Nqothole event. The first fight is scheduled to begin at approximately 19:00 GMT/14:00 ET.
All results from the Charlie Edwards vs Sikho Nqothole main card on May 29
Charlie Edwards vs Sikho Nqothole
After an entertaining undercard, it was time for Charlie Edwards vs Sikho Nqothole in an IBF super flyweight final eliminator.
It was a fairly cagey opening three minutes, with Edwards (21-3, 7 KOs) controlling the distance well, but Nqothole (22-3, 13 KOs) was the aggressor throughout the round. The South African was the busier throughout the second, snapping out his jab and finding a regular home for the right hand. In the third round, Edwards was caught with two good shots from Nqothole, but used his feet well to move out of danger when he looked in trouble.
Edwards enjoyed a better fifth round, closing the distance more effectively and picking his punches, slowing Nqothole down. The Brit made his opponent miss in the sixth and countered sharply.
As the fight progressed, Nqothole boxed well off the back foot, with Edwards becoming more of the aggressor. The jab of the South African was eye-catching throughout the first eight rounds. Edwards enjoyed a strong tenth round, landing some nice body shots and an eye-catching right hand. Nqothole was still dangerous in the round. Edwards looked in his groove during the eleventh, making Nqothole miss more, while countering with precision.
Edwards rallied in the second half of the fight, and it went to the judge’s scorecards, which read 116-113, 116-112, and 117-111, all in favour of Nqothole, who will progress to an IBF world title shot. The early work in the fight from the South African was key.
Dan Toward vs Jake Corrie
Up next on the Charlie Edwards vs Sikho Nqothole undercard was Dan Toward (8-1-1, 6 KOs) vs Jake Corrie (9-0-1, 6 KOs) in the super welterweight division.
It was a solid start from Toward, who controlled the distance well in the opening round. Corrie looked more positive in the second, stiffening the legs of Toward towards the end of the round. Over the next two rounds, the better work came from Toward. Corrie’s power looked dangerous, but he just wasn’t busy enough during the third and fourth. A right hand in the sixth round from Corrie hurt Toward. The pressure from Corrie seemed to upset Toward throughout the first eight rounds, but it just felt like he didn’t do enough.
Heading into the final two rounds, it was a difficult, close fight to score, with both having their moments. Toward looked fresher during the last two rounds, moving well and showcasing impressive punch selection from his southpaw stance. Despite the positive end for the Tyne and Wear fighter, it felt like it was a close fight. It ultimately went to the judge’s scorecards, which read 96-94 in favour of Toward, while the second judge scored it the same, but for Corrie. The final judge was unable to separate the two, scoring it 95-95, declaring the fight a split draw.
James Osborne vs Ollie Cooper
Next up was in the super middleweight division, with James Osborne (13-2, 3 KOs) facing Ollie Cooper (13-0, 3 KOs) for the vacant English super middleweight title.
The first two rounds saw Osborne the busier, but the cleaner work came from Cooper, who, when using his reach, looked impressive. Osborne continued to be the aggressor over the coming rounds and was on top in the fourth, but Cooper flipped the round and began to find a regular home for his left hand, with a clash of heads causing a cut near Osborne’s right eye.
Osborne recovered well over the next few rounds after a difficult fourth round. Cooper looks good when he puts his shots together, but the pressure and herky-jerky style from Osborne helped him close the distance. Cooper’s accuracy began to shine through, and in the eighth round, he landed a well-timed uppercut, flooring Osborne, who looked jaded when making it to his feet. Cooper smelled the finish, landing a big right hand, followed by a left, scoring a heavy knockdown. Somehow, Osborne made it to his feet, but the referee waved the fight off, crowning Cooper the new English super middleweight champion by eighth-round TKO! Not the finished article, but he has plenty of attributes to become a very good fighter!
Tom Welland vs Saleh Kassim
Next up was Tom Welland (11-1, 5 KOs) vs Saleh Kassim (14-7-2, 7 KOs) in the featherweight division. It was an entertaining opening three minutes, with Kassim landing some good shots, but the speed and cleaner work came from Welland, who looked good when he put his punches together.
Welland moved his feet better in the second round and was caught less. Kassim started the third on top, landing some heavy shots, but Welland recovered well and showcased impressive accuracy, hurting Kassim during the third round. Over the next couple of rounds, Welland continued to box well, but Kassim still looked dangerous, especially with the right hand.
As the fight progressed, Welland grew in confidence, outworking his aggressive opponent. The higher quality came from Welland, impressing at the home of British boxing, York Hall. The judge’s scorecards read 99-91, 98-92, and 99-91, all in favour of Tom Welland, who is now the new commonwealth international featherweight champion.
Lucas Roehrig vs Faton Tolaj
In the first fight on the Charlie Edwards vs Sikho Nqothole undercard, we saw Lucas Roehrig (9-0, 5 KOs) face Faton Tolaj (7-3, 5 KOs) in the cruiserweight division.
It was a great opening round from Roehrig, who snapped the head back of Tolaj on multiple occasions, and hurt Tolaj with a right hand, before landing a left hand just after the bell, which got him a ticking off from the referee.
The second round began positively, with Roehrig flooring Tolaj with a big left hook. The German did well to beat the count, but Roehrig showed poise and picked his punches well, and the referee soon jumped in to award Lucas “Lights Out” Roehrig the second-round TKO victory.
Featured Image Credit:
Wasserman Boxing X