Former boxing world champion Lee Selby lands sickening body shot KO in BKB debut

Lee Selby got off to a flying start to his bare-knuckle boxing career.

The former IBF featherweight champion returned to the ring for the first time in four years to headline BKB 55 in Cardiff, Wales, just down the road from his hometown of Barry.

BKB

Despite the long layoff, there were no signs of ring rust as Selby, 39, rolled back the years to blow away Italy’s Antonio Rizzo in the second round

“It felt amazing, and don’t forget, I’m almost 40 years of age,” said Selby post-fight.

“Rizzo is almost half my age; he could be my son.

“So I’m doing it for the 40-year-olds, the 40 club.

“Like NWA said, I’ve got an appetite for destruction.”

Story of the fight

Bare-knuckle boxing veteran Rizzo looked to overwhelm Selby early as he marched forward, swinging with reckless abandon.

While his front foot aggression forced Selby onto his heels early, Rizzo’s shots were wild and telegraphed.

Selby got the measure of his man almost immediately and comfortably evaded the majority of the punches coming his way.

As the round wore on, Selby got more and more comfortable, with his ram-rod jab repeatedly snapping back Rizzo’s head as the Italian lunged in.

The first shot to really cause a dent in Rizzo was a stabbing right hand to the body that drew a grimace out of the travelling fighter.

Sensing that his opponent was in discomfort, Selby stepped in with a right hand to the head to score the first knockdown of the fight at the end of round one.

Rizzo survived to hear the bell, but he would be sent tumbling back down to the canvas three more times in the next frame en route to the eventual knockout.

The second and third round knockdowns came courtesy of short right hands landed around the guard, while the fourth and final fall was caused by a sickening left hook to the liver.

Selby is now setting his sights on world titles and called for a shot at super lightweight champion Estevan Partida, who scored a last-gasp stoppage victory over his close friend Kallum Shkhane in May to pick up the belt.

World title fight next?

“Yes, I do [want a world title shot],” added Selby.

“I want to avenge my good friend and sparring partner, Kallum Shkane and the loss when he fought for the world title.

“I thought he was very unlucky to get stopped just before the bell when I thought he was winning on points.”

You can watch back the full BKB 55 card live on the talkSPORT Boxing YouTube channel below.