Ten-round performance keeps interim champion positioned for next step at 122 pounds
Skye Nicolson (16-1, 3 KOs) delivered a clear points win over Mariah Turner (12-2, 6 KOs) on Wednesday night in Melbourne to retain her WBC interim super bantamweight title. The scores reflected her control of the fight across ten rounds and keep her firmly in the title picture.
Nicolson established the distance early, placing the jab and keeping Turner at the end of her shots. Turner pressed forward and tried to close the distance, but she struggled to get her feet set long enough to let combinations go. When Turner did get inside, Nicolson tied her up or turned her and went back to work at mid-range.
The fight shifted in the middle rounds as Nicolson increased her workrate and mixed straight shots with short hooks. She placed the right hand with accuracy and kept her punch selection tight, forcing Turner to reset her feet repeatedly. Turner had moments when she worked her way in and let her hands go, but she couldn’t hold position or build any offense.
Down the stretch, Nicolson kept the pace steady, still letting combinations go while maintaining control of the distance. Turner continued to press, showing toughness, but the cleaner shots and ring IQ belonged to Nicolson across the ten rounds.
The result keeps Nicolson at the front of the line in the WBC picture at super bantamweight, strengthening her case for a shot at the full belts.
Teremoana Teremoana (11-0, 11 KOs) remained perfect, stopping Bowie Tupou in the first round after 74 seconds. The 6-foot-6 heavyweight closed the distance quickly and ended it with a sharp uppercut followed by a right hand as the referee stepped in. Tupou beat the count, ot back to his feet and underwent a post-fight medical check.
Eddie Hearn said afterward, “That was one of the scariest knockouts I’ve seen. This guy has got devastating power. We know there’s levels above Bowie Tupou, but these are the kind of opponents you have to go through on the way to the top. They’re the kind of opponents you hope will give you rounds. You’re not gonna do rounds with Teremoana Teremoana.
“What you’re watching right now is a future world heavyweight champion. This is going to be a huge star. He’s not just got the personality, he’s not just got the dance moves, he can really fight and he’s got power in both hands. A giant of a man.”
Jake Wyllie returned with a second-round stoppage, rebounding from his previous draw with a sharper showing, letting his hands go early and finishing once he had his opponent hurt.
Benjamin Hussain upset Andrew Hunt via split decision, edging the rounds with tighter punching in a close fight. Jesse Bolt closed his outing with a first-round knockout, finishing quickly once he found the opening.
