Jack Massey ousted Isaac Chamberlain via unanimous decision to clinch the European and Commonwealth cruiserweight titles in an all-British showdown at Selhurst Park.
Chamberlain had been scheduled to face Michal Cieslak for the European title before injury forced the Pole to withdraw, with Massey coming in as his replacement.
The back-up fight had the makings to be even more enthralling than that of the originally-planned bout, as much becoming evident early on in what became an exhaustive back-and-forth clash.
Massey would serve as a constant nuisance as he withstood any prospect of fatigue to deny Chamberlain, taking it 115-113, 115-113, 116-112 on the cards.
The win lifts Massey to 22-2 on the back of his first-round knockout win over Steve Eloundou Ntere and strong performance in defeat to Joseph Parker, while Chamberlain drops to 16-3.
Massey was the primary aggressor in the early rounds and let his intentions be known as he landed a huge right hand to the cheek of Chamberlain, who absorbed the impact impressively.
Back came Chamberlain with a sharp flurry of his own at the ropes in the third, before drawing on his skills to unleash three snapping straight jabs early in the fourth.
The Londoner looked to build with a thumping right hand to the head of Massey, who found himself penned in at the corner momentarily before coming inches away from landing a vicious straight left as the pair parted.
Massey then breached the guard of Chamberlain with a beautifully-timed jab in the fifth, and looked to capitalise with a neat four-punch combination followed by crushing back-to-back hooks to knock his man left-to-right.
He began to find more joy in round seven with a plunging right hook to the body and a left jab to the head, Chamberlain this time responding with a powerful left hand to back-track his opponent into retreat.
There came signs of Chamberlain taking control when he connected with an emphatic left hook to the face of Massey, coupled with a three-punch combination amid a blistering melee in the final seconds of the round that almost saw him land a devastating overhand right at the bell.
Massey would find a second wind, almost rocking Chamberlain with a right hand in the 10th, before eating a left hook that had pushed him up against the ropes.
A relentless, gritty fight continued into the final rounds, Massey responding to his corner’s instructions to maintain the intensity as he continued to march Chamberlain down, denying his skilled counterpart any clear openings as he sought to salvage the final exchanges.
Azeez settles for draw
Dan Azeez was dealt a setback on his return to action as he was held to a draw against Hrvoje Sep.
The Londoner was back in the ring for the first time since losing to Joshua Buatsi earlier in the year, having deemed Sep a step back towards the leading light-heavyweights.
What had been billed as a testing outing proved as much in the early rounds as Sep adopted a front-foot approach as a more than willing trader of hands.
It had looked a useful experience for Azeez in his effort to rebuild momentum against a worthy opponent, but the dangers of a shorter eight-round contest soon told as he found himself level midway through.
By round four Azeez had begun to establish the jab better while gaining more control over the distance of the fight, but again Sep showed an impressive work-rate to match his counterpart’s output.
Azeez looked the more accomplished fighter on the inside and found joy with a flurry of uppercuts during the later rounds, Sep though continuing to threaten with a left hook despite tiring.
A fitter Azeez began to become the more notable hunter as round seven arrived, but was seemingly encouraged by his corner not to go searching for the finish against an opponent who had eaten much of what had been thrown in his direction.
In the end a draw would feel a fair outcome, Sep offering a good account of his toughness and stamina and Azeez no doubt eager for his next outing.
Hennessy continues rise
Francesca Hennessy continued her rise to stardom with a comprehensive points victory over a tough Dorata Norek to improve her record to 4-0 as a professional.
The 19-year-old displayed her slick skills once again to control the contest after eight rounds of valuable experience against an opponent who put her concentration to the test.
Hennessy asserted her control early on as she came out working behind a feint to set up her jab, before a clean left hook rocked Norek off balance momentarily.
She soon found joy behind a familiar two-shot left-hand flurry, following up a hook with a crisp jab to the face of Norek as she began to establish her range in round three.
Norek, if a little unorthodox, tested Hennessy at times with sporadic bursts as the pair moved the fight on the inside, Hennessy, though, showing her talents with mature retreats after connecting with her left hooks.
Hennessy remained the aggressor for much of the remaining rounds, nullifying Norek amid her efforts to reduce the gap in the closing stages.
