Josh Padley edges Aqib Fiaz to retain European title in Sheffield

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SHEFFIELD, England – Josh Padley pipped Aquib Fiaz to defend his European junior lightweight at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena. The pair traded leather throughout the contest, with Fiaz, who was fancied by few, pushing Padley to the wire.

Padley showed a weakness to the body in his controversial win over Reece Bellotti last October, and Fiaz targeted it throughout. Both men were nervous as they awaited the decision after 12 nip-and-tuck rounds, but Padley, 19-1 (6 KOs), was awarded the win by split decision via scores of 115-112, 114-113, and 113-114.

The opener was dull with both fighters falling short with their shots. Padley, 30, looked to be a lot quicker than Fiaz, but the Yorkshireman struggled to find the target when he let his hands go.

Oldham, England’s Fiaz, 26, pushed Padley back to the ropes in the second, thumping his opponent to the body. Padley looked to be struggling with the physicality of the contest, but cracked Fiaz with a right hand on the bell.

The contest sparked into life midway through the third when the pair locked horns and went for it. Fiaz landed two hard shots to Padley’s midsection and Padley returned fire with a right uppercut upstairs. Padley was quicker but Fiaz looked like his shots were having more of an effect.

Fiaz made his first real dent in Padley early into the fourth. Fiaz landed a left, followed by a right - both downstairs - that caused Padley to keel over and protect his abdomen. Fiaz continued to thump away at Padley’s midsection, but Padley dug in to see out the round.

Padley was certainly feeling the shots to the body and had to dig deep again in the fifth. Although he was being hurt, Padley, to his credit, continued to throw shots and even hurt Fiaz with a left hook late into the session.

Padley, most likely down on the cards, started the seventh with an intent to turn things around, and instantly pushed Fiaz back. Fiaz looked to be struggling with the pace of the bout but, in the eighth, the pair continued to thump away at each other's midsections before Fiaz was given a final warning for shots below the belt.

Padley was coming on strong heading into the ninth and Fiaz needed something big to turn the tide. That is exactly what he got.

Fiaz found a home for a left hand downstairs that hurt Padley. Padley complained it was low, but it wasn’t, and Fiaz took full advantage. Fiaz, with his head on Padley’s chest, hammered away. The Yorkshireman looked as though he could go down at any moment, but he survived the round.

Now it was Padley’s turn to push back, and he cracked Fiaz with a left hook early into the 10th that shook his rival to his boots. Fiaz still continued to target the body but Padley was covering well and countered with an uppercut.

Padley seemed to have found a second win and was now landing often on Fiaz, who was getting frustrated and seemed to catch Padley with his head in a clinch.

The referee deducted a point and Fiaz, perhaps, knew that may have just cost him the fight.

Fiaz came out for the 12th and final session knowing he must win it, and win it big, to be in with a chance of taking the European title.

Fiaz started well, again landing hard shots to the body, but was caught by a hard uppercut midway through the round. Fiaz was dazed and grabbed hold of Padley. It seemed as though Padley was grateful for the rest, but the pair soon went right back to hammering away at each other.

The bell struck and Fiaz landed one last left hook to finish the bout.

They awaited the official decision, and Fiaz, 14-2 (2 KOs), erupted into tears when he learned of the defeat. Fiaz’s corner seemed outraged at the decision and exited the ring with their distraught charge.