Sheffield’s Kid Galahad left needing medical treatment after shock knockout against Kiko Martinez
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
The 31-year-old had been in complete control for the first four rounds of what was scripted to be a routine defence of the IBF belt he won in August, but was floored at the end of round five after briefly dropping his guard.
A rocked Galahad survived the count and was quickly ushered back to his corner by trainer Dom Ingle before lasting just six seconds in the next round.
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Hide AdMedical professionals flooded the ring after Galahad was sent to the deck for a second time and the Ingle Gym fighter was helped onto the stool before being taken away for further treatment.
The shock knockout in what should have been Galahad’s heroic homecoming party was preceded by another huge surprise which saw the show’s co-headliner at Sheffield Arena, Doncaster’s Terri Harper, stopped in round four by Alycia Baumgardner.
Harper, who looked off the pace from the beginning, also surrendered her unbeaten record as well as her WBO and IBO super-featherweight world titles.
The 25-year-old from Denaby Main was roared on by a passionate home support but appeared dazed after being hit clean by American contender Baumgardner in the fourth, who also appeared to wobble Harper with a flurry of punches in the second round.
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Hide AdGalahad had been on the front foot from the first bell and looked comfortable as he picked off a spirited Martinez with fast and accurate punches, landing with a much greater economy than the big-swinging Spaniard.
But a more evenly contested fifth round saw 35-year-old Martinez fight back to produce crushing upset against the odds and become a two-time world champion.
Promoter Eddie Hearn described Martinez’s knockout as ‘stunning’.
He said: "I can't believe what I've just seen.
"It was the most stunning thing I've ever seen in a boxing ring. It was such a one-sided fight. It was beat-down, a masterclass.”
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Hide AdThere was some good news for local fighters on the night, however.
Much-fancied Sheffield prospect Donte Dixon felt he passed his toughest test to date ‘with flying colours’ after beating Scot Jordan McCory on points over eight rounds.
Dixon had to contend with all the ringcraft you would expect from a fighter of McCory’s experience but sent him to the canvas with a body shot in round six, having been in cruise control from the fifth round onwards.
"It went good," said Dixon.
"There was a little bit where I got hit with some silly shots but I feel like I performed good and passed with flying colours.
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Hide Ad"It was a good learning fight. He was very dirty but you have just got to learn from it. As we move on in the pro’s people are going to be like that."
McCory was repeatedly reprimanded by Doncaster-based referee Howard Foster, who docked him a point in the sixth round after he wrestled the home fighter to the floor.
Dixon kept his cool, however, and made it six wins from six fights as a professional in his first bout for 11 months.
Earlier in the evening Sheffield-based prospect Khalid Ayub dropped his opponent, Stanko Jermelic, on the way to making it two wins from two as a professional.