Lewis Edmondson beats Dan Azeez to win British title

Lewis Edmondson shocked Dan Azeez by winning the British and Commonwealth light heavyweight titles at the Copper Box Arena in London, England.

The match between Edmondson, now 10-0 (3 KOs), and Azeez, now 20-2-1 (13 KOs), didn’t catch fire, but Edmondson did just enough to defeat Azeez and win a majority decision.

The first round was cautious; Azeez, 35, chased Edmondson but neither achieved anything of note. Azeez continued his hunt for his opponent, but the taller 28-year-old Edmondson managed to keep the former British champion at bay with his punch.

The third and fourth followed a similar pattern, with Azeez fighting to cut off the ring and close the gap on Edmondson. Regardless, neither man was landing anything substantial and the fight didn’t start.

Azeez increased the pressure in the sixth, determined not to let the old belt slip from his hands. He pinned Edmondson against the ropes and fired shots to the head and body. Edmondson returned fire in the seventh, but Azeez was gaining confidence and it looked like he had finally figured out Edmondson.

In the eighth, Edmondson got frustrated and pushed Azeez’s head down and kicked him to the body after the break, with the referee scoring a point. The ninth was Azeez’s best round of the fight; he began to break down the tiring Edmondson and his body work seemed to be having an effect.

In the tenth, the fight seemed to finally catch fire when the pair stood in the center of the ring and attacked each other. Edmondson looked tired in the 11th, but that only spurred Azeez on. Edmondson, however, recovered well on the 12th and at the sound of the bell both men raised their arms.

It wasn’t a British title classic, but it was certainly a competitive event. Neither was confident they had done enough and the judges’ scores reflected this. Edmondson received the majority decision with letters 114-114, 114-113 and 115-112.