He was pushed all the way, but Jordan Gill produced a smart display to reclaim the WBA International Featherweight title.
Gill won on points against Cesar Juarez in a hard-fought contest over 10 rounds at the SSE Wembley Arena on February 20, a fight which the Chatteris boxer controlled throughout.
The win is Gillâs first victory since beating Reece Bellotti last August, as he recorded his 26th professional win and the title he lost to Enrique Tinoco in 2019.
Despite a few scares early in the bout, Gill weathered the storm and, coupled with an abundance of energy and precision, nullified the threat that the former WBO Intercontinental Super Bantam champion possessed.
Gill, who remained composed throughout the fight, showed calmness from the outset and started to probe Juarez as he measured his moves with pinpoint accuracy as the rounds ticked on.
Juarez was a sterner test for âThe Thrillâ, however, and threatened to land a key blow to his opponent with an aggressive style Gill perhaps did not expect.
But for every attack mounted, Gill was on hand to thwart, never allowing the fiery Juarez a chance to dominate on the front foot.
Aside from when Gill was pushed into the corner in round five, he showed the fluency his supporters know and love, alongside smart jabs and nimble footwork to spin away from any sign of danger.
Juarez was keen to land several body shots to wear the energetic Gill down, who used his speed and ring space to his advantage.
It became clear that Juarez was beginning to tire from round eight, something Gill did not show as he maintained the pressure against a fighter throwing desperate punches in a bid to limit the damage already done.
Before meeting Juarez, Jordan Gill said this would be âmy hardest fight yetâ and was made to work hard, but it was coolness personified from a man now aiming to mount a world title charge.
After the fight, Gill told Sky Sports: âHe was so tough, his pressure was so high, he asked a lot of questions of me and I feel like I dealt with them in good fashion.
âI didnât feel my best in there, but when youâre stepping up the levels, youâre always going to feel like that and Iâm pleased to get the win and move onto bigger and better things.â
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