Sam Noakes retains European lightweight title with stoppage win against Gianluca Ceglia

SAM NOAKES retained his European lightweight title after opponent Gianluca Ceglia pulled out after eight completed rounds.

The Italian didn’t throw many shots and offered zero threat to the Maidstone fighter who moves to 15-0 with 14 wins inside the distance.

Noakes’ first defence at York Hall was a one-sided affair with the champion moving forward throughout picking shots to head and body but it never looked as though he had his mandatory challenger hurt. Ceglia on the other hand was content to tuck up and absorb whatever came his way and offer some cameo bursts of shots which reminded you he was a fighter.

A clubbing right from Noakes in round six shifted the veteran but he didn’t capitalise on the small opening.

The 27-year-old champion was winning every minute of every round and as the rounds racked up the effort from Ceglia lessened. With the 34-year-old’s face beginning to mark-up the end was nigh and at the end of round eight he spoke with his trainer Gaetano Nesparo indicating there was a problem with the right side of his face. That was then reported to referee Fabian Guggenheim and who called the fight off a few moments later.

“His experience showed,” Noakes said of his opponent afterwards.

“He was a tougher fighter than I thought he would be. But even when I was throwing jabs he didn’t really have an answer. It was a good learning fight. Everybody’s talking about these big fighters but I’ve still only had 15 fights. I’ve still got a lot to learn and fights like this are really going to bring me on.”

Trainer Alan Smith commented, “It’s another step closer to the world title and he’s learning every time.”

Meanwhile, Noakes’ manager Francis Warren said, “Obviously, there’s names we’d like to chase after but he’s in a great position. The opportunities will present themselves. Denys Berinchyk holds that [WBO] world title and that seems the natural route to take as and when it presents itself. We’re in no rush.”