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Liverpool star watches Jack Tuner's devastating first-round knockout as James Metcalf returns

Jack Turner destroyed Piero Aponte with a brutal first-round knockout on Friday night

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Jack Turner celebrates his victory in over Gonzalo Corinaldesi

Jack Turner celebrates his victory in over Gonzalo Corinaldesi

Liverpool star Kostas Tsimikas watched on as Jack Turner destroyed Piero Aponte with a brutal first-round knockout. Tsimikas is currently sidelined with an ankle injury but was ringside at the Exhibition Centre on Friday night to watch Turner produce yet another devastating demolition job.

After meeting some of the fighters backstage, including Turner, the Greece international took his seat ringside and watched on as 'El Terrier' showed why he is one of the most talked-about up-and-coming fighters in the UK. Speaking in the build-up to this fight, Turner claimed he is the man who is going to dominate the super-flyweight and bantamweight divisions.

And in the manner in which he blew away Aponte here, few would disagree with him, as, having already dropped his 34-year-old opponent twice, Turner landed another huge shot to the body that resulted in the fight being waved off just over a minute after it started.

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Speaking to Boxing Social afterwards, the 22-year-old said: “I’m looking for a big year next year. I’m coming for everyone at super-flyweight, and then I’m going to batter all of them and move up to bantamweight and batter all of them.

“I really enjoyed tonight, and I want to thank all my fans and everyone who has come out to support me. It means a lot. I’m going to look for a big year next year.”

Elsewhere on the card, James Metcalf made a winning return to the ring as he fought for the first time since being stripped of his IBO super-welterweight title.

The 36-year-old, who is the son of Shea Neary, was stripped of his title by the IBO earlier this year after a split from Matchroom left him without a promoter.

As a result of the split, Metcalf was unable to defend his crown, but he made a winning return to the ring here, beating Alan Sebastian Velazquez on points after six rounds of boxing.

“You know what? It was just business; it was just a fight, and I am not going to lie to myself; it was a fight I should have won comfortably,” he admitted to Boxing Social.

“That’s all it was: [it was a fight] to get the rust off and push on to better things next year. Since getting stripped by the IBO, I would like a bigger fight, maybe WBA.”

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