The upcoming star of British boxing, Shabaz Masoud, continues his winning streak. Rochdale, Lancashire-born, secured a hard-fought victory over his Columbian rival Jose Sanmartin. The duo were expected to meet three weeks ago. But Masoud’s illness prevented the meet-up. The 27-year-old Stoke-on-Trent resident won the fight by a split decision and defended his WBA Inter-Continental Super Bantam title.

Widely expected to fill in the gap left by the likes of Prince Naseem Hamed and Amir Khan, Shabaz Masoud joined Eddie Hearn‘s Matchroom Boxing in June this year. He turned professional five years ago. Under the guidance of Ben Davison, who has trained Tyson Fury, Josh Taylor, and Billy Joe Saunders in the past, and now trains Anthony Joshua, the ‘Maverick’ faced an all-out aggressive Sanmartin.

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The Barranquilla, Colombia-born boxer, whose two knockout losses came to Mauricio Lara and Emmanuel Navarrete, kept the English boxer on the edge till the final round.

It was precisely a year ago that Shabaz Masoud became the WBA Inter-Continental Super Bantamweight Champion. In a sensational performance, he outclassed top-ranking, till-then-unbeaten Jake Bateson, knocking him down twice before being declared a winner by technical knockout. The 27-year-old, who always nurtured following the footsteps of some of British boxing’s greatest, left his studies at Staffordshire University to pursue a full-time boxing career.

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Speaking about his student, Ben Davison said, “Shabaz is a special talent with remarkable potential; he has a great blend of style with plenty of substance… He has the type of style that you don’t regularly see from the UK. He’s aggressive at times…versatile; he’s slick [and] flamboyant.” But the ace trainer was also quick to point out the needless showboating that Shabaz Masoud often falls prey to.

Like a typical swarmer, Jose Sanmartin soon found enough space. It enabled him to start fighting the way he wanted. It worked for the initial rounds. However, by the fourth round, Shabaz Masoud had finally found some of his voice. He held on despite the Columbian’s constant pressure tactic. But by the halfway mark, the fight had settled into a grudge. Sanmartin charged at will, which often left the British boxer confused.

A close shave for Masoud

It wasn’t that the Columbian was putting anything new on the table. But Masoud was unable to find answers to Sanmartin’s hooks. As could be expected, the fight went to the judges scorecards. One judge felt Jose Sanmartin had done his part of the job and awarded him 96-94. But it was the remaining two scorecards that must have startled many. While one had a wide-ranging score of 98–92, the other seemed a bit reasonable at 96–94. Both, in favor of Shabaz Masoud.

Surely the upcoming British prospect must have been happy with his accomplishment. With the latest win, his stakes have risen in a division that hosts the pound-for-pound great Naoya Inoue.

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What is the major style difference you could observe between the British and American boxers? Please share your views with us in the comments below.

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