Visioli Clinches English Lightweight Title Against Howarth
Photo By Dave Thompson/Matchroom Boxing.
In the bouts leading up to Christmas, Giorgio Visioli showcased an impressive performance as he secured the vacant English Lightweight Championship with a hard-fought points victory over Joe Howarth at Indigo at The O2 in London. The judges rendered unanimous scores significantly in Visioli’s favor, with tallies of 100-91, 98-92, and 97-93.
However, Visioli had to earn his victory against Howarth, who is trained and managed by British Heavyweight legend Dave Allen – Visioli acknowledged Howarth’s effort right after the fight.
Reflecting on his victory, a thrilled Visioli expressed: “I’m really happy with the win. It was an amazing experience. Thanks to Eddie Hearn, Frank Smith, and Matchroom Boxing for letting me headline here in London.
“I had to put in a lot of effort for this. Joe was tenacious and I had to remain focused. But I crave these kinds of challenges. Joe came here tonight with the intention to win without a doubt.
“It’s tough to maintain that pace over 10 rounds, but I got the job done. This is just the beginning of many titles, and we will progress in 2026 after taking a bit of a break.”
Matchroom Boxing CEO Frank Smith praised Visioli, stating that this English title victory is just the start of many more championships to come.
While speaking with Jamie Ward, Smith noted: “Tonight was a fantastic performance by Giorgio. We genuinely believe in his potential – he’s destined for the top.
“Kudos to Joe Howarth. He performed admirably. But tonight belongs to Giorgio. He’ll be eager to return to training and work on improving. That was a remarkable first headline fight here in London, and we anticipate a promising future for him.”
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Taylor Bevan also stayed unbeaten, claiming a stunning sixth-round stoppage against Mickey Ellison, who was forced to retire with his team throwing in the towel.
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William Crolla made a successful return, as the Mancunian fighter – sibling of former World Champion Anthony Crolla – stopped Harley Hodgetts after knocking him down twice in the third round.
Maisey-Rose Courtney, supported by close friend Molly McCann, outpointed a determined Sara Orszagi, while Alexey Shendrik triumphed over Christophe Mbori Endanga in the opening fight of the evening.
Published: 2025-12-18 00:03:00
source: fightnews.com
