Ennis-Brown edges past Bowes to take British and Commonwealth titles

MTK Global

It wasn’t an action-packed main event, but there’s a new British and Commonwealth champ at 140 pounds.

No one will confuse today’s MTK Fight Night main event for a Fight of the Year candidate, but when all was said and done, Akeem Ennis-Brown became the new British and Commonwealth champion at 140 pounds, edging a decision over Philip Bowes.

Scores were 115-112, 115-112, and 116-111 for Ennis-Brown. Bad Left Hook had it slightly tighter at 114-113, but for the same man.

Ennis-Brown (14-0, 1 KO) was able to nick the fight largely on work rate, as Bowes (20-4, 3 KO) landed the majority of the better clean shots, but simply didn’t do quite enough for too long. On paper, this never shaped up to be a barnburner, and it stayed tactical throughout, though the dancing of the early rounds thankfully did wane in time.

That’s also not to say that neither man took any punishment or anything, as there were some solid shots landed. Neither is a big puncher, and the most visible damage came when Bowes, 36, was cut due to a clash of heads, and the 24-year-old Ennis-Brown was also cut late in the fight. Bowes also lost a point in the eighth round for holding, but it didn’t wind up making a difference on the cards.

The win makes Ennis-Brown officially the top man on the domestic scene at 140, but certainly not the UK’s best at the weight, considering they also boast Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall, not to mention Terry Flanagan, Lewis Ritson, Ohara Davies, and Tyrone McKenna, among others.

Other Results

MTK Global

• Dan Azeez TKO-9 Andre Sterling: Sterling (11-3, 4 KO) took sort of a progressive beating. He was down in the sixth round, though it was kind of a questionable call. What wasn’t questionable is that he was taking punishment for a while here, and his corner had to chuck a pretty bloody towel at 1:59 of the ninth round, having seen enough. Azeez (12-0, 8 KO) wants to get after the British and/or Commonwealth titles at 175 next. Shakan Pitters just recently won the previously-vacant British belt, and Lyndon Arthur has the Commonwealth title, but he’s being lined up for Anthony Yarde.
• Padraig McCrory TKO-1 Mickey Ellison: Wasn’t a lot to see here, as McCrory (11-0, 5 KO) overwhelmed Ellison (12-3, 4 KO) in 70 seconds, dropping him on a right hand, and it was over there. The 32-year-old McCrory is a little old for his experience level, but the Belfast native should be able to get into the domestic mix at 168 soon enough if he wants to do so.
• Elliot Whale TKO-1 Corey McCulloch: A great body shot finish here, as Whale (3-0, 1 KO) gets his first stoppage win in the pros, and hands McCulloch (4-1, 0 KO) his first loss. Whale is a 23-year-old welterweight southpaw, stands 6’1” so he’s got some size for the weight. He turned pro in Nov. 2019 so he’s very early days. The 26-year-old McCulloch did get up, but he just couldn’t continue, he was still hurting badly. It was a peach of a punch, as they say, a Lucian Bute-style southpaw uppercut to the body.
• Harlem Eubank KO-8 Martin McDonagh: Decent fight, this, and a nice little showing for the 26-year-old Eubank, who will either be a welterweight or junior welterweight if he ever takes a real fight with a real weight limit set and not an in-between contract weight. Harlem doesn’t have the flash and power of his cousin, Chris Jr, but his skills look like they should be OK at the domestic level, anyway. McDonagh (8-2, 0 KO) had some moments in this fight, particularly early, but the speed of Eubank (10-0, 3 KO) made the big difference, and his timing helped him show a bit of power. The end came when he and McDonagh both landed good, sharp lefts at the same time, but Eubank followed up and dropped McDonagh, who couldn’t quite answer the count in the final round.