By Matt Bozeat
UPON turning professional, Reece Bellotti stated he wished to be remembered for having fights comparable to Diego Corrales-Jose Luis Castillo and Arturo Gatti-Micky Ward.
He could also be remembered for his combat with Liam Dillon at the Indigo at O2 Arena on Saturday evening. The 33-year-old from Watford places his Commonwealth super-featherweight title on the line towards British champion Dillon (Chingford) on a present promoted by Matchroom and screened on DAZN.
It has the makings of a home combat of the yr contender between aggressive, front-foot boxers.
Bellotti has beforehand held Commonwealth honours at 126lbs in his close to nine-year profession, dropping the belt in his second defence to Ryan Doyle in June, 2018, the first of 5 losses in seven fights.
The defeats to Ryan Walsh and Francesco Grandelli had been on credible break up factors selections, however Bellotti might need walked away after American Raymond Ford stopped him in three in August 2021, a 3rd straight loss.
Bellotti was 30 years outdated and had – and nonetheless has – a great job as an electrician engaged on movie units.
The easy reality is, he likes combating and, provided the likelihood to combat Yeovil’s Dean Dodge for the vacant Southern Area super-featherweight title at two and a half weeks’ discover he took it and pressured a seventh-round stoppage.
Bellotti went on to burst the bubble of Jamie Moore-trained Aqib Fiaz for the vacant Commonwealth title final October on the Jack Catterall-Jorge Linares undercard in Liverpool.
Moore threw in the towel in the dying seconds of the eighth with Fiaz underneath heavy hearth having been dropped earlier in the spherical by a left hook. That was a 14th stoppage win on his 17-5 file for Bellotti. He is powerful and there’s weight behind his left hook.
Dillon makes the first defence of the British title he gained by outpointing Leeds southpaw Qais Ashfaq, the 2016 Olympian.
Dillon scored knockdowns in the fourth and ninth – neither was heavy – and held off Ashfaq’s late cost in the championship rounds to seize a deserved break up choice final July.
The 28-year-old fought from the center rounds with a lower over his left eye and there could possibly be blood spilled once more on Saturday.
Dillon has labored his method up the ranges since turning over in 2017 after serving an newbie apprenticeship with Waltham Forest. He’s gained Southern Area, English and now British honours.
The blemish on his 14-fight professional file is a 10-round draw with Youssef Khoumari in November 2019, a outcome that gives a attainable type line. Bellotti unanimously outpointed Khoumari three and a half years later.
Trained by Jim McDonnell from the begin of his profession, Bellotti seems to have the edge in ability. He gained ABA titles at bantamweight (2012) and featherweight (2013) after having his first newbie bout at 17 and he can even fancy he can match Dillon for workrate.
Bellotti’s chin has let him down, being stopped by Doyle and Ford. Defensively, he’s been careless at occasions. Bellotti has had some disappointing nights and he can’t afford one other on Saturday as a result of Dillon is match, robust, contemporary and stuffed with confidence. This might go both method however the decide, simply, is Dillon on factors.
On an enormous evening for Watford boxing, Shannon Ryan, signed to Anthony Joshua’s administration firm, is one other Watford boxer bidding to win British and Commonwealth honours.
The 27-year-old challenges Commonwealth super-flyweight champion Emma Dolan, 6-0 (1) and the vacant British belt can be at stake.
Dolan makes her second defence of the Commonwealth title. She is educated by Carl Greaves in Newark after leaving home-town Norwich to pursue boxing.
Greaves has invested in her, bringing over Halima Vunjabel from Tanzania to contest the vacant Commonwealth belt in Newark final March. Dolan gained on factors and outpointed Nicola Hopewell in her first defence, choosing her off down the stretch.
Ryan, additionally 6-0 however with none early finishes, has fast palms, a great jab and seems robust at 115lbs. She had a dominant eight-round factors win over then-European flyweight champion Martina Bernile final June, leaving the Italian bloodied and nicely crushed.
That is probably the finest outcome on each fighters’ mixed information. Ryan, who adopted that with a shut-out factors win over seasoned Romanian southpaw Xenia Jorneac, seems to have an excessive amount of for Dolan and can win on factors.
The Verdict – Another excellently matched scrap for home belts.
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