Kicking off the evening newcomers Danny Bent and Henry Blanchard treated us to seven rounds of catch-weight chessboxing beauty. Blanchard took charge on the chessboard right from the start, while Bent’s superior movement and hand-speed caught the eye in the intervening rounds of boxing.
Unfortunately Bent could not match his speed around the ring when he returned to the chessboard, where his occasionally lengthy contemplation of a fierce middle-game battle meant he fell behind his opponent on the clock with inevitable consequences. Blanchard triumphed by time-penalty.
It was a great debut fight and both combatants have expressed a desire for a quick rematch, which could happen later this year. We look forward to another Ali-style pre-fight interview from Blanchard, where he displayed an instinctive grasp of chessboxing showmanship. Was Bent’s fate sealed before he even stepped in the ring? Judge for yourself here. “The Blanchard Tapeâ€, as we’re calling it, is playing on a loop at London Chessboxing HQ and we still haven’t grown tired of it, “Back Row – Queen – Rook – Boom!!†Classic stuff. |
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W | L |
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Blanchard wins via chess - timeout (Round 7) |
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