LONDON – George Liddard made the first defence of his British and Commonwealth middleweight titles by surviving his greatest test against Tyler Denny.
The promising 23 year old started impressively and repeatedly tested Denny, the former European champion, but after threatening to bully his challenger found himself in an increasingly competitive contest that was ultimately won via his strength and youth.
Three scores of 116-112 were awarded in his favour after the final bell at the Copper Box Arena but while there was little doubt that Liddard was on course to be judged the victor, the one-sided appearance of the scores didn’t reflect the 34-year-old Denny’s efforts.
Denny, one of the victims of Boxxer’s separation from Sky Sports since he sacrificed the European title to Hamzah Sheeraz in 2024, looked to be suffering the effects that defeat and his relative inactivity since then when in the opening round he was hurt by a right hand that buckled his knees. He had by then landed a right hand and a straight left but it was telling that Liddard, by comparison, absorbed them with ease.
Two further rights to the chin hurt Denny again in the second and left him struggling to defend himself by the ropes. He was again slower to the punch in the third, but showed signs of what was to follow in the fourth when he landed a left to Liddard’s chin, despite being the slower of the two as they traded.
When the question appeared to be how much fighting at such intensity would take out of Denny, he responded by producing his finest rounds. At the cost of considerable energy he landed another left to the chin and also semi-regularly succeeded to Liddard’s body.
A left uppercut when Liddard’s chin was exposed highlighted his comparable lack of experience, and in turn continued to enhance Denny’s confidence.
The challenger’s right eye regardless started to swell up in the seventh, before he found another left hand to Liddard’s chin that was again admirably absorbed.
When Denny was again showing signs of tiring Liddard hurt him again with another right hand, but again struggled on the inside where Denny proved more capable.
In the ninth the challenger landed a body shot as the champion landed a right to the chin while they traded, and in the 10th Denny again was effective in tying the fresher Liddard up.
Liddard recovered the momentum in the 11th round when he again tested Denny’s balance with a right hand to the chin. He was cut on the bridge of his nose but appeared to have taken the best Denny could offer, and so it ultimately proved throughout a less dramatic and physical final round of an entertaining contest and when the scores were announced.
“He brought more than expected but I’m grateful for that,” Liddard said at the conclusion of his 14th fight. “Took me 12 rounds – I’ve never been 12 rounds before. I’m on a journey to the top. We didn’t get the KO but that’s okay.
“There was a lot to learn. I’m 23 years old – it’s back to the drawing board. I’m testing myself on the world stage, who else is doing that?”
“The one thing we have to remember is he’s 23, most people don’t even turn pro at his age,” said his promoter, Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn. “He works so hard in the gym, and that fitness won him the fight. He had to work so hard in the 11th and 12th rounds. Denny is a great fighter, too.
“To go from Kieron Conway to Tyler Denny at 23 years of age is incredible. Carlos Adames for the WBC title, we’re not there yet – I’d like to see a couple more fights. Liam Smith is a brilliant fighter if he stays in the game – that’s the type of fight that George Liddard wants. We actually agreed to fight Liam Smith here tonight but he wanted more time. I’d like to see him win the British title outright.”
