Super welterweight Louis Greene (17-4, 11 KOs) achieved a career-defining moment on the most prominent of stages, delivering a resounding first-round stoppage victory over the highly regarded Jack McGann (9-1-1, 6 KOs) at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
A fight between the pair would have been a staple of any British boxing event. However, with the added glitz and glamor of Saudi Arabia, the bout landed on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s encounter with former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
McGann entered the ring as the betting favorite, before Greene ripped up the bookmakers’ predictions.
Greene started the contest at a lightning pace and targeted McGann’s body. An overhand right dropped McGann heavily, and referee Kieran McCann, despite McGann having risen to his feet, waved off the contest just shy of the halfway point of the opening round.
“I get underrated for how hard I can actually punch,” Greene told Sky Sports afterwards. “I knocked out a lot of boys as an amateur. I was screaming for this [fight against McGann], and I have never experienced anything like [fighting in Saudi Arabia]. I come from nothing. Walking down that tunnel to enter the arena was the first time I smiled on camera all week.”
Greene then called for a rematch with Sam Gilley (17-1, 8 KOs). The pair produced a thrilling battle in October last year at Bethnal Green’s York Hall, in London, with Gilley relieving Greene of his Commonwealth title.
“It was a very close fight last year between Sam and me,” Greene said. “The man who judged that should not have a job. He gave me one round out of 12. It was a great fight, and Sam won it, in my opinion, by a knockdown. But I performed that night.
“I believe that I have put myself back into position to challenge him again. I just beat his mandatory; I got rid of him.”
McGann had been in line, with Gilley, to contest the vacant British super welterweight title – previously held by Samuel Antwi, and Greene would like to face Gilley with the Lonsdale belt on the line.
“I want to be British champion,” Greene said. “Sam sat in a ring and said, ‘I did it for him [giving a title opportunity to Gilley], and now I want him to do it for me now.’”