Victories for Anthony Fowler and Sam Maxwell weren’t enough for the British Lionhearts to secure a second World Series of Boxing win of the season as the Morocco Atlas Lions triumphed 3-2 in Casablanca.
Fowler and Maxwell can now boast two wins and no defeats in the World Series of Boxing this season, but the Lionhearts have now lost twice and won once as Ashley Williams, Qais Ashfaq and Romanian invitee Ionut-Mirel Jitaru all suffered defeat.
The Atlas Lions took first blood in the opening bout of the night as the Moroccan national champion Zouhair El Bekkali secured a unanimous points victory over Williams in the light-flyweight contest.
And the hosts were soon 2-0 ahead and looking comfortable as Mohamed Hamout overcame Ashfaq in the bantamweight contest.
However, a fine performance by Maxwell in the light-welterweight contest pulled one back for the Lionhearts as the man from Liverpool saw off Hamza El Barbari.
He was followed into the ring by fellow Liverpudlian Fowler, who dominated Said Harnouf in the middleweight contest from the first bell, sending the Moroccan to the canvas three times in the opening two rounds.
The re-opening of a cut to Fowler’s forehead in the second round provided a scare for the Lionhearts but the Commonwealth Games gold medallist showed maturity to protect the cut and see out the contest to secure a unanimous victory and even the match at 2-2.
That set up the possibility of superb comeback by the Lionhearts, however heavyweight Jitaru was unable to deliver and lost by TKO when he was forced to retire with a shoulder injury, and hand the win to Lithuanian Vitalijus Subacius, giving the Atlas Lions a 3-2 victory.
© Sportsbeat 2015