Robert Lloyd-Taylor became the first ever reserve fighter to win Prizefighter after defeating Nick Quigley in the Prizefighter Light-Middleweights II final at York Hall in Bethnal Green.
Lloyd-Taylor won the coin-toss with fellow reserve Nathan Weise after JJ Bird fainted in the dressing rooms and was picked out of the hat first by former British, European and Commonwealth Light-Middleweight champion Jamie Moore in the first ever live draw, and WBC Super-Middleweight champion Carl Froch matched him with former two-weight World Champion Takaloo. Lloyd-Taylor was undaunted by facing the ‘Margate Rock’ and kept the veteran at the end of his jab and reached the semi-finals through a split decision.
In the semis Lloyd-Taylor met the favourite Peter Vaughan but threw the form book out of the window with the only stoppage of the night, dropping the Banbury fighter after 90 seconds of the final round, before the contest was waved off in the dying embers.
Quigley had been involved in two wars to reach the final – taking a split decision in an all-Liverpool fourth quarter-final against Steve Harkin, before clinching a spot in the final in the fight of the night against Kris Agyei-Dua, where both men threw plenty of leather but Quigley took a unanimous decision.
The Liverpudlian gave so much in his first two fights and fought bravely in the final, but Lloyd-Taylor’s fairytale had a happy ending, with a confident performance impressing the judges who all gave him the fight 29-28 – meaning the 20th edition of Prizefighter saw a reserve take the £32,000 winner’s cheque for the first time.
“I had the hardest route to the final with the two favourites for the tournament so I should get some credibility from that tonight,” said Lloyd-Taylor. “I haven’t performed well on my last couple of turns on Sky Sports so that makes it really special to win tonight.
“The money is fantastic of course but I’ve never made money out of boxing – it’s never been about money, but now I’ll enjoy this and see what doors are opened.
“I was just sitting there and relaxing when they came in and said that JJ had pulled out. Nathan called heads, tails came down and I was getting taped up – I didn’t even have time to warm up. But that maybe helped in a way as I wasn’t tense at all and I got in there for the first fight.”
Quigley was left to rue a tough draw that saw him fight the last quarter-final and semi-final, but the previously unbeaten 22 year-old believes the night will push his career forward.
“Every fight I had felt like a final and against Robert I thought I did enough but I didn’t get the decision,” said Quigley. “That happens, it’s not the end of the world and I’m glad that I got the chance to show my skills and hopefully I’ve won some fans as well.
“It was sickening when I got Steve Harkin in the quarter-finals. He’s a good mate and that was like a loss, I was genuinely gutted.”
Unbeaten pair Vaughan and Wayne Goddard met in the second quarter-final and both men tore into action from the off, with Goddard enjoying success with some neat combinations but although Vaughan was often wild, he constantly stepped forward and held the centre of the ring, perhaps enough to get him the split decision.
The third quarter-final of the night was a real comeback tale for Agyei-Dua as he came off the canvas in the opening round against Jeff Thomas to claim victory on the referee’s card after the first draw in Prizefighter. A belting left hook from Thomas grounded the Brentwood man, but he came back strong from that point and his stylish and dominant display saw him through.
Fights between friends from the same city can often disappoint but Quigley and Harkin entertained the packed York Hall crowd with Quigley winning through to meet Agyei-Dua in a cracker of a semi-final, one that he won but expended valuable energy and Lloyd-Taylor capitalised in the final to make Prizefighter history.
Prizefighter Light Middleweights II results:
Quarter-finals
Robert Lloyd-Taylor beat Takaloo – split decision 29-28, 28-29, 29-28
Peter Vaughan beat Wayne Goddard – split decision 30-27, 28-29, 29-28
Kris Agyei-Dua beat Jeff Thomas – 29-28 on referee Terry O’Connor’s card after judges scored the contest a majority draw
Nick Quigley beat Steve Harkin – unanimous decision 29-28, 28-29, 29-28
Semi-finals
Robert Lloyd-Taylor beat Peter Vaughan – third-round stoppage with 15 seconds remaining
Nick Quigley beat Kris Agyei-Dua – unanimous decision 30-27, 30-27, 30-27
Final
Robert Lloyd-Taylor beat Nick Quigley – unanimous decision 29-28, 29-28, 29-28
CLIMB IN THE RING WITH AT&T U-VERSE AND GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS FOR TKO EXPERIENCE
LOS ANGELES, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011 — AT&T* just made it easier for boxing mavens, soccer fans, and devoted telenovela watchers to enjoy their favorite Spanish-language programs on AT&T U-verse® TV. Through an agreement with Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, U-verse customers can now view exclusive boxing matches at no additional cost on the last Saturday of each month from Mexico City.
“We are delighted to work with AT&T,” says De La Hoya. “AT&T U-verse is the finest TV viewing out there and it’s a terrific platform for our best-in-class boxing matches.” The matches are broadcast in both Spanish and English.
“Busy households really appreciate the control and freedom they get with U-verse Total Home DVR,” said Andy Shibley, AT&T vice-president and general manager for Greater Los Angeles. “In my own home, we take full advantage of the U-verse Total Home DVR, and watch our favorite recorded soap operas or soccer on any TV in the home, pause if needed and watch later. We also love to watch TV shows on the go with U-verse Mobile.”
Nat Geo Mundo, Utílisima and GolTV HD are all now included in the Paquete Español and U200 Latino packages. Encore Español is available with the U-verse U300 and U450 packages.
U-verse TV offers a full programming guide and TV menu in Spanish, and Spanish language “Help On Demand” videos for information on U-verse content and features. Spanish-speaking technical support and customer service representatives are also available from U-verse call centers.
AT&T U-verse TV is the only 100 percent Internet Protocol-based television (IPTV) service offered by a national service provider, making AT&T U-verse one of the most dynamic and feature-rich services available today. For additional information on AT&T U-verse — or to find out if it’s available in your area — visit AT&T U-verse.
SETH MITCHELL AND HECTOR FERREYRO READY FOR BATTLE ON “STAR POWER FRIDAY”
2008 OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST FELIX DIAZ AMPED UP FOR
LAS VEGAS DEBUT AGAINST LARRY SMITH
LAS VEGAS, September 15 – We are just days away from the welterweight championship bout between Floyd Mayweather and Victor Ortiz on Saturday night, which means we are getting even closer to “STAR POWER FRIDAY” at Texas Station Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. on Friday, September 16.
The evening of boxing features an unprecedented two network, bilingual broadcast on TeleFutura and Fox Sports Net making this event the perfect way for any fan to begin boxing’s biggest weekend of 2011.
In the 10 round main event, hard-hitting heavyweight contender Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell (22-0-1, 16 KO’s) is back in action for the first time since his blistering first round knockout of Evans Quinn in May and the former standout Michigan State University linebacker will look to build on his impressive boxing resume when he takes on Texas veteran “Hurricane” Hector Ferreyro (21-10-2, 12 KO’s), a rugged battler who plans on taking Mitchell into deep, uncharted water this week.
Also featured on the broadcast will be one of boxing’s brightest stars, unbeaten welterweight Felix Diaz (9-0, 6 KO’s), a 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist from the Dominican Republic who is expected to be tested in his eight round matchup with Dallas’ Larry Smith (10-5, 7 KO’s), an upset-minded competitor with the knockout power to shock anyone he steps into the ring with.
The man who is likely to get the biggest cheers of the night will be debuting junior welterweight Taylor Larson, a Las Vegas native and employee at Texas Station Casino who will have all his friends and co-workers pushing him to new heights when he battles Los Angeles’ Andres Reyes (2-1-2) in a four round contest.
Mitchell and Ferreyro won’t be the only big men going to battle in Vegas this Friday, as hometown favorite Alvaro Morales (6-9-6) meets Compton, California’s Andrae Carthron (5-7-2, 1 KO) in a six round bout. In the four round junior welterweight opener, Brandywine, Maryland’s Terron Grant makes his professional debut against Gilroy, California’s Alonso Loeza (0-0-1).
“STAR POWER FRIDAY” is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate and AT&T. Doors open at 6:00pm PT on fight night and the first bell rings at 7:00pm PT. The TeleFutura broadcast begins at 11:30pm ET / PT (10:30pm CT).
Tickets, priced at $25 and $50, are on sale now and available for purchase at the Texas Station Rewards Center or online at www.stationcasinos.com/concerts.
Fans at home can also be part of the action by participating in Cinturón Tecate and voting for the fighter in the main event who displayed the most character in the ring by sending a text message to 55333. Voting will be open through the end of the weekend.