Zelfa Barrett Twice Floors Jordan Gill, Earns 10th Round Stoppage In Manchester
Zelfa Barrett rode a persistent body attack all the way the finish line.
The former title challenger eventually broke the will of Jordan Gill, whom he stopped in the tenth round. Barrett twice floored Gill in the fateful tenth before a subsequent attack forced the end of their 130-pound regional title fight.
The official time was 2:44 of round ten in their DAZN main event Saturday evening from AO Arena in Manchester, England.
Gill hoped to catch lightning in a bottle after his most notable win to date. The 29-year-old from Chatteris scored an upset seventh-round knockout of Michael Conlan last December in Belfast. Another road trip was in store for Saturday’s affair versus Manchester’s Barrett. Gill came forward and attempted to force a brisk pace while Barrett boxed from the outside.
The tempo of the fight changed in round three. Barrett slammed home a right hand to snap back Gill’s head. The local favorite continued to land straight shots upstairs. Gill’s left eye began to swell but later found success. A switch to southpaw cleared a path for a left hand on a cornered Barrett near the round’s close.
Barrett (31-2, 17 knockouts) mixed up his attack in the fourth. A left hook downstairs forced Gill to double over and wince in pain. He remained upright but failed to fend off the former title challenger. Barrett continued to target the body and also landed a left uppercut to Gill’s chin.
The all-star training team of Ben Davison and Lee Wylie restored Gill’s confidence between rounds. The pep talk and tactical advice resonated in Gill bounced back strong in the fifth.
Barrett continued to target the midsection, but Gill was prepared. A left hand and right were both blocked by Gill, who came back upstairs with a straight right hand. Barrett returned to the jab as he moved to his left.
The round paved the way for sound two-way action in the middle rounds. Barrett was often quicker to the draw, but Gill cut off the ring and found repeat success with his right hands.
The local hero was not to be denied, however.
Barrett dialed up the pressure in round ten. He briefly mixed it up with straight shots upstairs before he took the attack down to the body. It led to both knockdowns in the round and fight. Gill beat the count on both occasions, but was left defenseless during a subsequent flurry. Referee John Latham rightly intervened, a fate accepted by Gill despite his willingness to continue.
Gill fell to 28-3-1 (9 KOs). All three career defeats have come inside the distance.
Barrett extended his current three-fight win streak. It all trails his heartbeaking ninth-round knockout to Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov in their November 2022 IBF title fight.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for The Ring and vice president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
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