Lyndon Arthur, a previous contender for the light-heavyweight world title, managed to narrowly escape an upset on the scorecards following the main event held in Bolton tonight.
Sheffield’s Liam Cameron, who recently made a comeback to the ring after a lengthy break, took the 33-year-old fighter to the full 10 rounds.
When the final bell rang to signal the end of the fight, it seemed like Arthur had done sufficient to secure a victory. However, judge Steve Gray scored the contest 95-93 in favor of Cameron. On the other hand, the remaining officials, Jesus Morata Garcia and Michel Maksiuta, both believed that Arthur’s performance deserved the win, awarding him scores of 95-93 and 97-91, respectively.
After his victory, Arthur, who has a record of 24 wins and 2 losses with 16 knockouts, expressed his dissatisfaction with his performance while speaking to Channel 5.
“Sub-par,” he described it.
I believed the previous scorecard was inaccurate in its assessment. I was confident that I had nearly emerged victorious. Nevertheless, credit to Liam for his performance. It’s possible that my performance may have faltered, but ultimately, securing the win is what truly matters to me.
During Thursday’s weigh-in, Arthur exceeded the 175lb limit by eight ounces, leading to inquiries about its impact on his “sub-par” performance.
He responded by saying, “Perhaps I underestimated the heaviness of it. I assure you, it won’t occur again. I managed to secure the victory, which is the most important thing to me. The situation is what it is.”
Arthur, with a victory against Anthony Yarde under his belt, eagerly seeks to rejoin the competition against his fellow countrymen. London’s own Dan Azeez has long been a target of his attention.
“I aspire to engage in significant battles,” he expressed. “With anyone who presents a logical challenge. I won’t repeat that performance. However, I commend Liam for seizing his tremendous opportunity. He made a valiant effort.”
Cameron, with a record of 23-6 (10 KOs), experienced a significant career boost by headlining tonight’s event at the Bolton Whites Hotel. Following a four-year period of boxing inactivity due to a ban resulting from a positive test for traces (25 nanograms) of benzoylecgonine, a cocaine metabolite, in 2020, this opportunity was a crucial turning point for Cameron. Facing Arthur was a major challenge for the 33-year-old, representing a significant advancement in his level of competition. However, he proved his ability to persevere in the sport and continue to compete among the top talent in the UK.
Cameron started the match aggressively, aiming to intimidate Arthur. However, his opponent’s well-practiced left jab proved effective and left him with a bloody nose.
Punches were thrown after the bell in the second round, first by Cameron and then by Arthur. The underdog was hit by Arthur’s punch just a moment after it landed. Referee Howard Foster penalized Arthur by deducting a point from him at the start of the third round for his illegal shot.
Cameron maintained a relentless attack, and if he had possessed greater firepower, the outcome would have been disastrous for Arthur. Nevertheless, Arthur consistently relied on his jab whenever things didn’t go as planned.
At the midpoint, the match seemed evenly matched, but Arthur’s exceptional skills started to shine through. In the sixth round, he surprised Cameron with a well-executed jab followed by a powerful right hook. However, Arthur’s momentum was briefly halted when referee Gray penalized him for illegally striking at the back of Cameron’s head.
Arthur consistently stayed ahead but made things difficult for himself by putting himself in a vulnerable position, which allowed Cameron to exert immense pressure. In the eighth round, Arthur aggressively pursued Cameron, attempting to corner him, but Cameron skillfully evaded him in the closing minutes. Arthur appeared much more formidable when on the offensive, and had he adopted the same approach from the beginning, he might not have needed to go through the entire fight.
