Denzel Bentley first Brit boxer ever to take a knee for Black Lives Matter before impressive win over Mick Hall
DENZEL BENTLEY took a knee for Black Lives Matter and then snatched away Mick Hall’s eyes for his 13th professional win
The rapidly rising middleweight, nicknamed Too Sharp, used his introduction at the televised BT Sport studio fight to throw his support behind the cause.
And, after taking one empowered stance, he was soon switching between a couple more as his moves from orthodox to southpaw helped him beat a semi-blinded Hall into a sixth-round submission.
With his hands gunslinger low at times, Battersea banger Bentley threw some crunching early counter shots.
And Hall did well to brush off a left-hand combination to ribs and chin that would have dropped a softer man.
Bentley told SunSport in quarantine on Thursday that he wanted to learn as much as he could inside the 10 rounds on offer and was busier with his jab in the second.
Orthodox Bentley switched to southpaw in the third and piled on the pressure but Hall, whose two defeats in 17 previous fights had only come against the respected Jack Arnfield, withstood some of his best shots.
Bentley had more leftie success in the fourth, enough to showboat for the empty arena and the thousands of fans finally getting some boxing on TV.
Preston hardman Hall was marked under his left eye by the end of the session and his corner worked hard to soothe the swelling before the fifth.
Hall didn’t let his welts wilt his determination, in the fifth it seemed like Bentley fancied a breather so the tattooed 34-year-old was able to score.
In the sixth, a scything Bentley one-two clattered into Hall’s swollen face but Bentley’s corner once again caught him admiring his work instead of pouncing on his prey.
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Hall was wounded again moments later but, even pinned on the ropes, he hooked and pushed his way out of trouble but both eyes were now close-to-battered shut.
And referee Steve Gray wisely ended the contest with a caring tap on Hall’s shoulder and a wave of his arms to the skeleton-staffed studio.
Everyone had seen enough of Bentley’s exciting potential and Hall’s blind courage.