Taylor new IBO Oceania and NZPBA super middleweight champ

Taylor new IBO Oceania and NZPBA super middleweight champ

Tauranga’s Jonathan Taylor pulled off a stunning upset victory over Jordan Tai to claim the IBO Oceania and NZPA super middleweight titles in Auckland on Saturday night.

A major underdog, Taylor shocked Tai with a seventh-round stoppage in a blood and thunder contest that will go down as New Zealand’s fight of the year.

Taylor’s victory came 2.53 into the seventh round, at a time in the fight when Tai was firmly in ascendency.

Taylor’s chances looked to ebbed away when he was downed in the fifth round by a stiff Tai combination. But the supremely-conditioned personal trainer grimly stuck to his task, catching Tai with his trademark right hand to turn the fight on its head in the seventh, with referee Lance Reville stepping in to waive the fight off after Tai absorbed several more telling blows.

Having fought back from a brutal knockdown in the opening seconds of the fight, Tai was distraught at the outcome.

The fight was always going to be an explosive affair and it didn’t disappoint. A huge Taylor right hand put Tai on the canvas in the opening seconds of the first round, threatening to end the contest there and then.

Tai was clearly badly shaken but somehow recovered to regain his feet.

With Tai still visibly rocking after an eight count, Taylor looked on odds on to finish it. Somehow, though, Tai managed to withstand Taylor’s furious onslaught.

Both fighters then exchanged massive combinations in a toe-to-toe exchange that lasted the entire round.

Incredibly, both were somehow still standing at the end of it.

Tai steadily worked his way into a dominant position and victory seemed within his grasp when he dropped Taylor in the fifth.

However, Taylor wasn’t done yet, climbing off the canvas and making to the bell before landing the decisive blow in the seventh to flip the fight on its head once again.

“I was just glad it was over,” Taylor said of the stoppage. “I didn’t want to go another round with him. He is the toughest guy I know.”

On the undercard, undefeated heavyweight prospect Junior Fa underlined his credentials with an explosive 40 second stoppage victory over Moe Hussain to improve to 8-0.

Undisputed New Zealand middleweight champion Mose Auimatagi Jr totally outclassed Pumipi Ngaronoa over four rounds in his first outing since defeating Gunnar Jackson on the main event of Big Bash Five.

Cruiserweight Nik Charalampous maintained his undefeated record with a victory over Thomas Heads, while Baby Nanasen was too good for Wendy Talbot, winning a unanimous points decision in a female super featherweight contest.

ENDS

BIG BASH SIX RESULTS

Main event

IBO Oceania Super Middleweight Title, NZPBA super middleweight title

Jonathan Taylor def Jordan “The Terror” Tai (7th round TKO)

Co Main Event

Middleweight

“Iron” Mose Auimatagi Jr def Pumipi “Ceaser” Ngaronoa (unanimous decision)

Main Undercard

Heavyweight

Junior Fa def Moe Hussain (first round TKO)

Plus

Nik “The Greek” Charalampous def Tom “The Bluff Brawler” Heads (cruiserweight) (unanimous decision)

Baby Nansen def Wendy Talbot (super featherweight) (unanimous decision)

Josh Tai v Kendall “Canon” Cooper (Light heavyweight) (unanimous decision)

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