LONDON – Sam Noakes was too busy and too industrious for former champion Denys Berinchyk, whom he outscored over 10 largely one-sided rounds.
While Berinchyk enjoyed a few spells here and there, Noakes pressed the action and did far more to warrant the victory.
The first round at the O2 Arena was a fast-paced high-quality session in which not a lot happened.
Southpaw Berinchyk , inactive for a year-and-a-half since a stoppage loss to Keyshawn Davis – the only defeat of his career previously – moved left and right as Noakes came straight for him. Berinchyk pressed out his jab and sometimes turned orthodox to pose Noakes some questions.
It looked like Noakes, by the end of the second, wanted a punchout but in the third Berinchyk was on his bike and doing his best to stay away from conflict.
Noakes buried a couple of right hands into the Ukrainian’s body near the bell.
Berinchyk, a 2012 Olympian, looked uncomfortable if not flustered as he struggled to contain the Englishman who, two fights ago, gave Abdullah Mason plenty to think about in a bout for the vacant WBO lightweight belt.
Berinchyk warmed to the task a little in the fifth and spent longer in the pocket looking for his own shots and his handspeed started to present Noakes with something to think about.
The Maidstone man, however, remained steadfast in his pursuit but sometimes found it difficult to close the gap without taking something on the way in.
Noakes had the better of the eighth, finding gaps for several right hands as a mouse formed by the visitor’s left eye.
It wasn’t catching fire, however, and that wasn’t Noakes’ fault but he had done enough to win by wide margins 100-90, 99-91 and 98-92.
Noakes is now 19-1 (16 KOs) while the 38-year-old Berinchyk is 19-2 (9 KOs).
Thomas Narmo didn’t know what had hit him as he stood and tried to figure out what had happened.
The novice-like Narmo was sent spiralling into the canvas by a big right hand from Nelson Hysa early in round two after an ungainly and untidy opener in which neither looked particularly threatening, imposing or, well, capable.
Hysa, 25-0 (23 KOs), the Albanian Eagle, had talked of wanting to fight Agit Kabayel – the WBC heavyweight champion, next. Kabayel was ringside watching and he won’t have a sleepless night after that, although Germany-based Norwegian Narmo might have some nightmares. He is now 14-1 (14 KOs). He was given oxygen on his feet as he tried to recover.
