The talk is over, the last punches have been thrown and one man is left standing. Ohara Davies won MTK Global’s lucrative Golden Contract 140lbs tournament with a narrow, majority points win over Tyrone McKenna at the Production Park Studios in Wakefield on Wednesday night.
Scores were 96-94 (twice) and 95-95 in a contest that could have swung either way. Without fans in attendance, McKenna (21-2-1, 6 KOs) wasn’t drawn into his trademark war and boxed in a more educated manner, but the judges favoured Davies’ less frequent but stiffer blows in a close one. McKenna was cut over the right eye from the sixth.
“I’m on top of the world. After this we’re going to go out and eat everything because I’ve been disciplined for weeks,” said a jubilant Davies (22-2, 16 KOs) afterwards. “You name it, we’ll get it and we’re going to go party. I’m the first ever Golden Contract champion and this is only the start. I’m going to kick on from here and continue to have success.”
With the victory, Davies receives a two-year, five-fight ‘golden contract’ with six-figure purses guaranteed for each fight.
On the undercard, German Serge Michel (11-1, 8 KOs) dropped Barrow-in Furness’ Liam Conroy (18-6-1, 9 KOs) three times en route to a fourth-round victory to set up a Golden Contract 175lbs final with Latvian lion Ricards Bolotniks.
Conroy, bleeding from his nose and a cut on his hairline, was dropped by a right hand near the end of the third, but the bell rang just in time. An overhand right then a right uppercut dropped him twice again in the fourth when referee Mark Lyson waved it off.
“I am very happy. Round by round I was feeling better. I landed with the right uppercut and cross, those are my best punches. I am here to win the tournament and it will be a great final with Bolotniks,” said Michel.
Main image: MTK Global.