Kid Galahad finally earned himself the vacant IBF world featherweight title after defeating Jazza Dickens with an 11th round stoppage.
The 31-year-old contender took the fight to his opponent at Matchroom Fight Camp in Essex on Saturday, dominating their bout.
The blood pouring from above the left eye of Dickens after a cut he suffered in the first round was enough to stop the fight.
In his 29th bout as a professional, It is Galahad’s first world title win.
Josh Warrington, former champion of the division and holder since May 2018, lost the belt in January.
Dickens’ left eyelid was cut early on, and he seemed to have suffered a broken nose later in the match.
Galahad’s only other world title fight ended in a split-decision points defeat against Warrington back in 2019.
“It’s unbelievable,” he said.
“After 19 years hard work, I’ve finally got the title round my waist. It’s been a long time”.
“I didn’t want to leave it to the referees or judges. Now I want to win a couple more titles and unify the division”.
“If I fight Warrington, he’s not going 12 rounds”.
When asked for his opinion of the fight, British heavyweight Dillian Whyte said:
“Dickens is a brave man but I think they made him take too much punishment. His nose went, his eyes went, but his corner should have protected him better tonight”.
Pundit Steve Bunce commented: “It’s been a terrific fight, so much better than we expected and competitive – even though we all had Galahad in front.
“That is one of the worst cuts I’ve ever seen. A cut like that could end a career” he added.
The pair had previously met in 2013 when Galahad beat Dickens with a 10th-round stoppage while fighting for the British title at super bantamweight.
