Ovill McKenzie upset the odds to claim the cruiserweight version of the Prizefighter series at The Earl’s Court in London on Tuesday night.
A rank outsider at the start of the evening, McKenzie, a late replacement for the tournament who normally campaigns at light-heavyweight, kicked off his campaign with a commanding points win over veteran Terry Dunstan.
McKenzie showed surprising power in that first outing, dropping Dunstan in the second, but he was expected to be outgunned by the heavy-hitting Darren Corbett in their semi-final showdown.
However, the Jamaican-born McKenzie, who is now based in Derby, took his Northern Irish opponent out inside two rounds. He dropped him onto the ropes midway through the round and then, after Corbett had staggered to his feet, McKenzie finished the job swiftly and ruthlessly.
McKenzie’s opponent in the tournament decider was another surprise package, in the shape of John ‘Buster’ Keeton, who had sensationally stopped pre-tournament favourite Dean Francis inside one round in their last-four clash.
The pair produced a fitting finale to a dramatic night of action and it was McKenzie who eventually came out on top after three bruising rounds, The Upsetter getting the nod on all three judges scorecards (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) to reinvigorate a career which had seemingly been in a terminal decline following three defeats in his four previous outings before Prizefighter.



Boxing: Prizefighter report | Setanta