Deja Vu – Declan Geraghty shows supreme skill but suffers devastating KO defeat
It was a case of de ja vu for Declan Geraghty in London tonight.
The Dublin super feather suffered step up defeat for the fourth time in his career Live on BT Sport, as he was stopped in the fourth round of his clash with WBO European ranking title holder Archie Sharp.
Similarly to his reverses to James Tennyson and Marco McCullough ‘Pretty Boy’ showed flashes of pure class, but got caught and ended up suffering on the end of a superb left hook.
The Dubliner banked the first three rounds with ease. He looked to be making a joke of 11/2 odds, but Sharp closed the distance in the fourth and began to have some success.
Possibly getting too confident the Irish fighter was happier to trade in what proved to be the final stanza – and during a trade off the English fighter pulled out the best shot of his career to win the fight.
A left hook sent 29-year-old to the canvas and referee Howard Foster waved off the fight instantly.
Geraghty started nigh on sensationally. He took control of the centre of the ring and found a home for the southpaw lead. Sharp looked confused and certainly knew he was in for a fight after the first three minutes.
This is what boxing is all about
Declan Geraghty congratulates Archie Sharp after being knocked out in the fourth round…
A touch of class pic.twitter.com/560CXEiEQ3
— Boxing on BT Sport (@BTSportBoxing) September 27, 2019
The second was similar as Geraghty opened a lead, putting combinations together against the switch hitter who stayed in the orthodox stance.
Pretty Boy wasn’t as pretty in the third, but took the round nonetheless. Sharp ended the round with a cut, but had his first real success when the former Driminagh and Crumlin amateur decided to stay in the pocket.
The fourth saw the home fighter changed things up somewhat. Sharp, who is known more as a boxer than a puncher closed the gap, held a high guard and tried to put on pressure. He had more success in the first minute of the fourth than he did in any other round, but Geraghty was able to counter on occasion and still looked relatively comfortable.
However, the EU gold medal winner turned into a chopping left hook and ultimately suffered a second successive knockout defeat.
There was concern as the oxygen mask was applied to the Dub, but it proved precautionary as Geraghty recovered to eventually congratulate the winner in the ring.
Oh my word!
After losing arguably all of the previous rounds, Archie Sharp knocks Declan Geraghty out cold pic.twitter.com/ysy7zy25br
— Boxing on BT Sport (@BTSportBoxing) September 27, 2019
The reverse will leave Team Geraghty asking questions. There was a sense of last chance saloon about this one and people will question whether or not the Dub will have the stomach for a rebuild.
However, the fact the former Irish international looked so comfortable early on and again showed the kind of skills not many have will allow them to keep some hope.
Maybe there is a formula that be concocted that would enable the southpaw to maintain focus and fitness and box his way cautiously to victories.
The result see’s Sharp increase his slate to 17-0, now with 9 knock out wins, whilst Geraghty slips to 19-5.
