Leo Atang stops Amine Boucetta

The first round marked the first time an opponent had survived the first three minutes against Atang as a professional. This did little to change the tone of the battle. Atang remained calm, mixing head and body shots and showing no reaction as he absorbed a clean upperhand right late in the round.

In the second round, the pressure became more and more intense. Boucetta was pushed back repeatedly and spent most of the round reacting rather than initiating. Atang continued to work to the body and close distance without charging up.

The end came in the third. Atang hurt Boucetta with uppercuts before closing the distance and landing a sustained body attack. Boucetta took off from the pileup and was unable to beat the count, leading to the strikeout.

Atang improved to 4-0 with four strikeouts. Boucetta dropped to 9-18, continuing a pattern seen in previous fights against higher-level prospects, including bouts with Tony Yoka, Moses Itauma and Dave Allen.

Atang’s size, measured approach and early finishing ability have already led to comparisons to a young Anthony Joshua, although those parallels remain superficial at this stage. Atang didn’t rush the knockout, stayed poised and finished when the opening presented itself.

It was the kind of controlled performance expected at this level. The real questions will only arise when the opposition changes.