After his recent experience fighting in Riyadh, British boxer Josh Padley returned to his home country and delivered an impressive knockout win for his local fans.
Padley captured the WBA International lightweight belt by defeating Marko Cvetanovic in the fifth round. He knocked down the Serbian fighter twice before the referee, Steve Gray, stopped the fight at 1 minute and 13 seconds into the fifth round of the scheduled ten-round bout.
Padley employed his signature aggressive style, quickly closing the distance against the taller southpaw, Cvetanovic, aged 29, who attempted to clinch and hold to mitigate Padley`s attacks.
Matchroom Boxing`s latest signee progressively increased the pace of the fight, pushing his opponent onto the defensive. Padley had previously demonstrated his resilience in February when he stepped in on short notice and lasted into the ninth round against WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson.
That performance, even in defeat, enhanced his reputation. Back in action at the Sheffield Canon Medical Arena, Padley successfully knocked out Marko Cvetanovic, who now holds a record of 13 wins and 2 losses, with 6 knockouts.
With this victory, Padley`s record improves to 16 wins and 1 loss, with his fifth knockout. He rose to prominence in September 2024 with a stunning win over the previously undefeated Mark Chamberlain. Now, with another significant win and promotional support, he aims to work his way back into contention against top-level fighters like Stevenson.
