Droylsden boxer Billy Deniz picked up the biggest win of his career after an engaging tussle with Billy Ellison in Sheffield last night.
The 24-year-old extended his unblemished pro record to 13 wins after referee Darren Sarginson awarded him a narrow 77-76 points victory.
Deniz had the better of the early exchanges, catching Ellison with clean shots while largely avoiding the wild swipes and uppercuts of his taller opponent.
Ellison, who came into the bout with a 15-7 record, has found himself as gatekeeper to the upper echelons of the domestic light-heavyweight scene of late, and was willing to trade with the fleet-footed Deniz.
The ‘Turkish Tyson’ rocked his Lancastrian opponent several times in the first half of the eight-round contest, with the 34-year-old Ellison – who is no stranger to ten-round fights – settling in as the bout wore on.
However, despite both men keen to box on the front foot, Deniz was rarely in serious trouble and looked baffled as the scores were announced.
The contest was on the undercard of Callum Simpson’s efficient defence of his British and Commonwealth super middleweight titles against Steed Woodall, co-headlined by the technical draw between Caroline Dubois and Jessica Camara.