Bentley Shocks Saavedra, Wins WBO Interim Middleweight Title
By Boxing Bob Newman
Venezuelan Olympian Endry Saavedra and former title challenger Denzel Bentley locked horns for the interim WBO middleweight championship. Saavedra pressured Bentley throughout, forcing the Londoner onto the back foot for large portions of the fight.
Bentley landed a short right cross just before the bell ending the fourth round, which seemed to shake Saavedra to his boots. The Venezuelan shook it off and was back on the offensive in the fifth. Bentley decided to stand his ground later in the sixth, ripping off some nice combinations to Saavedra’s head.
Suddenly, in the seventh, Bentley fired a quick counter right that clipped Saavedra’s chin, again leaving him wobbly. Bentley sensed his chance and didn’t let it go, firing lefts and rights and sending Saavedra all over the ring on rubbery legs. Despite not going down, Saavedra was in no condition to continue, according to referee Darren Sarginson, who stopped the fight at 1:38 of the seventh, crowning Bentley the interim WBO middleweight champion.
Bentley improved to 22-3-1 with 18 KOs, while Saavedra fell to 17-2-1 with 14 KOs.
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