 Takaloo is a man on a mission |
Takaloo retained his WBU light middleweight title at York Hall in Bethnal Green after a points victory over Jose Rosa Gomez. The Kent fighter dominated the contest from start to finish, winning with scores of 120-107, 120-107 and 118-109.
Afterwards he insisted he was disappointed to have failed to produce a blistering display.
"I would have liked to have pleased the audience but he was a hard man with such a hard head and tonight I just had to win it for myself," said Takaloo.
The Argentina-based Gomez had notched up five straight wins prior to Saturday's fight.
But he was no match for the Iranian-born Takaloo in the first round and was knocked off balance and sent to the canvas by a massive left to the jaw.
Despite Gomez's lacklustre start, he admirably recovered, launching an early left hook at Takaloo at the start of the second.
But the WBU champion, although briefly stunned, maintained his composure to end the round with a string of biting punches.
In the third, Gomez suffered a nasty gash under his right eye, which failed to deter his challenge.
He was regularly forced to work off his back foot by Takaloo and looked unlikely to last the full distance.
But he stood firm to the final bell before finally missing out.
Takaloo is set to face a big-name opponent later this year, with the decision due to be announced by manager Frank Warren.
On the undercard, Pakistani Commonwealth Games gold medallist Haider Ali got his professional career off to a winning start with a narrow points victory over London-based Ugandan Buster Dennis. The featherweight, now based in Walthamstow and signed up to Frank Warren's Sports Network stable, earned the decision of referee Richie Davies by a margin of 39-38.
MMIX
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