Crocker Retains WBO European Championship
Undefeated WBO European Welterweight champion Lewis Crocker scored a hard fought ten round unanimous decision over former German Welterweight champion Deniz Ilbay on Friday night at the Bolton Whites Hotel in Bolton, England. An entertaining bout from the outset, the two fighters showed a willingness to stand and trade punches early. In round three, Crocker nearly ended the fight when he dropped Ilbay with a left hook to the body. Ilbay showed his mettle, was able to survive the round, and rocked Crocker with a right head to the head in the latter stages of the fourth round. Although Crocker was the consistently more active fighter throughout and continued to hurt Ilbay periodically, the former German Welterweight champion fought back immediately whenever he would get stunned by one of Crocker’s power shots. It was those power punches, greater activity, and having a knockdown of his opponent to his credit that allowed Crocker to earn a unanimous decision ...