Two skillful 126lbs operators contested a highly entertaining bout for the IBF featherweight championship.
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Philadelphia man Eric Hunter came into the fight with a reputation as being a very talented fighter,accompanies by a volatile temperament in the ring.
The Welshman opened up with a solid start in round 1, but got absolutely nailed by a huge left hand counter by Hunter towards the end of the 2nd round – a shot that came out of nowhere.
Selby recovered well and upped his work rate significantly in round 3 and 4, out hustling his American opponent with some nice shot variation, with the champion now clearly switched on.
The champion landed four or five really crisp right hands in the 5th round, backing Hunter up onto the ropes towards the end of the round.
The mid rounds were largely dominated by Selby, who was busier and seemed more hungry than his US foe, who didn’t seem to have much urgency about his work.
Hunter began to finally apply some pressure in the 7th, moving onto the front foot with a high guard and more of a sense of purpose.
The American mandatory challenger had a point deducted in round 8 for a low blow, which partly spoiled the positive momentum he was building up.
Hunter’s left hand proved to be a dangerous punch in the fight, with a flush left landing on Selby again in the 9th round, with the Welshman’s durability proving itself as he shrugged it off.
The referee gave Hunter an extremely stern warning in round 9 for low blows, at one point bringing the American over to his corner to say to him and his trainer that if he did it one more time he would be disqualified.
Selby controlled the championship rounds with his superior work rate down the stretch, without too much trouble from Hunter in the late stages of the bout.
The final scorecards read out: 115-111, 116-110 and 116-110 in favour of Lee Selby via unanimous decision.
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