‘Big Sexy’ slays The Giant and changes career with big KO
Sean Turner slayed The Giant to change his career trajectory in Basel on Saturday night.
‘Big Sexy’ was handed a chance to register a breakthrough win and took it with both hands and in style thanks to an clean eight round stoppage.
EBU-EE champ and current European #10 Arnold Gjergjaj provided the MTK puncher with a chance to jump up the World rankings and he made no mistake scalping a fighter whose only other defeat came against former two-weight World champ David Haye.
Turner dominated from the off and virtually laughed in the face of the 20-1 odds – which the bookies claimed was an error – that you could get on him earlier in the day.
The Dubliner looked the stronger, the more accomplished, better drilled. and more skilled from start to eight round finish.
Right from the off Turner was keen to set the tempo. He slipped a jab and landed a right hand early doors before basically moving ‘The Giant’, who had 30 wins and just one lose to his name before Saturday, around the ring for the opening three minutes.
‘Big Sexy’ had no issue with what looked a a token jab from the home favourite. ‘He doesn’t want to know’ was the shout from Pete Taylor in the corner and things looked ominous for Gjergjaj.
The Swiss-based fighter was down in the second as ‘Big Sexy’ continued to apply big pressure and as the rounds went on Gjergjaj’s personal between rounds cheerleader even started to to lose faith.
Gjergjaj’s ability to hold and his wrestling back round became more apparent in the fourth- and while Turner loaded up at times he did land the bigger shots and with more regularity throughout the stanza.
The fifth followed a similar pattern. The Dublin heavyweight backing the home fighter to the ropes, parrying a straight one two, before trying to unload all he could before he was tied up.
Turner looked to be slowing slightly as the fight progressed, but he was still on top and made sure he didn’t have to face a nervous wait for scorecards to be read out by dropping the 6’4 fighter heavily in the eighth round.
Gjergjaj failed to recover and MTK’s Turner managed to register one of the most impressive away wins of any Irish fighter in 2017 and moving to 12(8)-0.
The Shankill man was up by six and four (twice) rounds goinginto the seventh, but the big finish certainly adds gloss to a victory which should open numerous doors for him over the next 12 months.
Best performance & most important win in his career, proud of @BigSexyboxer he gave everything tonight and over the camp to secure the win pic.twitter.com/R82qHiCF9F
— Pete Taylor (@PeteTaylor01) December 9, 2017
