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Nick Parkinson
Daniel Dubois notched another knockout victim with a fourth-round win over Richard Lartey on Saturday.
The unbeaten British heavyweight contender extended his unblemished professional record to 11-0 with a 10th win inside the distance at the SSE Arena, Wembley, in London.
Lartey was counted out after Dubois caught him with a right flush to the chin, with another display of his devastating punching power.
Victory opens up the possibility of Dubois (11-0, 10 KOs) challenging Joe Joyce for the vacant British heavyweight title this July, after 2016 Olympic silver medallist Joyce signed with the same promoter, Frank Warren, as Dubois last week.
The British Boxing Board of Control last week confirmed there had been an agreement to match Joyce and Dubois for the belt, but Joyce does not sound overly enthusiastic about the matchup.
After dealing with Ghana’s Lartey, in a bout shown live on ESPN+ in the U.S., the 21-year-old Dubois urged fellow Londoner Joyce (8-0, 8 KOs), 33, to agree to what would be one of the biggest fights in the UK this year.
“It was a firefight; defense left my mind for the first few rounds, but then I started being a bit smart and I landed a good shot and it’s a lesson learnt,” Dubois said. “I was able to cope with the pressure but he clipped me a few times.
“Sooner rather than later I will be sharing a ring with these guys [Joyce]. As long as preparation is right I will beat anyone.”
Joyce plans to box in May but is not committing himself to facing Dubois at the O2 in London on July 13 just yet.
“It’s an option [fighting Dubois],” Joyce said.
“I’ve got a fight in Stevenage on May 18 and I should be out again in July. I’m going to speak to Frank [Warren] and see what options are out there.
“It’s a potential fight for July [against Dubois]. The fight against Dubois is an option, but I want to be world heavyweight champion as quick as possible.”
Dubois, 239 pounds and 6-foot-5, knocked out his last opponent, Razvan Cojanu, in two rounds in March, and only American veteran Kevin Johnson has taken him to points. Lartey provided some pressure that Dubois has rarely had so far, but once again his heavy hands proved decisive.
Lartey (14-2, 11 KOs), 27, was boxing outside of his home city of Accra for only the second time as a professional and only arrived the day before the bout due to visa problems.
Dubois was certainly not late in getting started and made a fast start that included two big rights that found the target, but Lartey responded and succeeded in Dubois toning down his attack.
Dubois adopted a steadier rhythm through the second and was momentarily shook by a solid right on the counter from Lartey.
In the third round, Lartey was forced to hold on after being nailed by an uppercut, but then came out swinging in a dangerous few seconds for Dubois.
But Lartey was rocked back onto his heels and then down to the canvas by a right to the chin in the fourth round. Lartey was getting to his feet when referee Bob Williams waved the fight off, and afterward the Ghana boxer complained about the stoppage.
On the undercard, Jack Catterall (24-0, 13 KOs) made quick work of Nicaragua’s Spain-based Oscar Amador (10-18, 1 KO), whom he hurt with a nasty uppercut, and afterward said he would be available to face American Maurice Hooker (26-0-3, 17 KOs), the WBO super-lightweight champion from Dallas, in July. Catterall is No. 1 with the WBO.
Lerrone Richards (12-0, 3 KOs), 26, earned a dominant, unanimous points decision (118-110, 116-113, 118-111) over fellow Englishman Tommy Langford (21-3, 6 KOs), 29, to lift the vacant Commonwealth super-middleweight title.