Australia’s Skye Nicolson defended her WBC featherweight world title with a stylish points win over Briton Raven Chapman in Saudi Arabia.
The 29-year-old was in full flow, picking Chapman, 30, apart with some terrific counter-punching coupled with fluid movement at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena.
Nicolson was awarded a unanimous decision with scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 98-92 in the first female world-title fight to take place in Saudi Arabia.
“There’s still so much more to go. I’m excited. We’re still scratching the surface,” Nicolson, who has now won all 11 of her pro fights, said.
Also on the card, Jack Massey’s corner threw in the towel in the sixth round as the Briton fell short in his challenge against IBF cruiserweight world champion Jai Opetaia.
Massey, 31, put in a brave performance but had no answer to the pressure and power of 29-year-old Australian champion.
Opetaia welcomed a unification fight against the winner of Britain’s WBO champion Chris Billam-Smith and WBA (super) belt-holder Gilberto Ramirez who fight in November.
The bouts were taking place on the undercard of the undisputed light-heavyweight fight between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
Nicolson puts on a show
Chapman said her come-forward approach would cause Nicolson problems and she started well by taking the centre of the ring and cutting off the ring with her jittery style.
Nicolson’s coach told her to “get busier” after the second – and from then on it was pure dominance from the champion.
Having taken a right hand in the third, she responded with some smart counter-punching, landing a left and uppercut from her southpaw stance.
Underdog Chapman, whose career has gone slightly under the radar, is highly rated in boxing circles and pundits predicted it could have been closer than the odds suggested.
She connected with a right hand in the eighth and ninth but could not follow it up as a smiling Nicolson – who had promised to put on a show – moved swiftly out of range.
Chapman’s corner told their fighter she needed a knockout before the final round but it was Nicolson who ended the fight on top.
Nicolson blew a kiss to the TV camera before the scorecards were read out.
The women embraced at the end of a historic fight which took place on the backdrop of a nation criticised by human rights organisations for its treatment of women and minority groups.
Nicolson, who is based in the UK, called for a fight with American Tiara Brown, who has won all 17 pro bouts, next.
Opetaia steamrolls another Briton
Opetaia, a huge favourite to retain his title, showed just why he is considered the world’s best cruiserweight.
He asserted his dominance early on with pressured attacks to head and body. It was not complete one-way traffic as Massey let his hands go in the third and fourth but Opetaia was getting the better of the exchanges.
With his nose reddened and a cut above his left eye, Massey – who just two years ago was working as a scaffolder – was hurt by a clean right hook to the jaw in the fifth.
Massey’s trainer, Joe Gallagher, saved his fighter from any further punishment by throwing in the towel after another Opetaia flurry in the following round.
“I felt good. I knew Jack was going to come and fight. Nothing but respect for him and his family,” Opetaia said.
The Sydney-born fighter continues his destructive run against British fighters after he dismantled Jordan Thompson in four rounds in September 2023 before brutally knocking out Ellis Zorro in the first round three months later.
