World Champion Lee Haskins Makes His Point as Andrew Selby Impresses in Cardiff

Lee Haskins' late career renaissance continued in Cardiff, Wales, on Saturday, as the bantamweight made a successful first defence of his IBF title.

The Englishman, who had been gifted the belt by former champion Randy Caballero—after Caballero failed to make weight for a scheduled bout in November 2015—eased to a unanimous points win over Ivan Morales.

Haskins turned in a controlled performance to triumph comfortably on the scorecards. Ron Lewis of the Times tweeted the verdict:

Here, Bleacher Report analyse the main event in the Welsh capital and pick out some of the best bits from the undercard on a show co-promoted by Cyclone Promotions and Sanigar Events.

Just Champion

It was both a coronation and something of a confirmation in the Welsh capital.

Having won the title on a technicality, Haskins proved himself a worthy world champion against Morales.

It was a typical Haskins performance. There were flashes of brilliance; his unorthodox style allowed him to land punches from odd angles.

However, the champion was also too clever for his own good at times. There were plenty of wasted punches too, as some ambitious attempts never came close to hitting the target.

But that's the thing with Haskins—he can frustrate and delight in equal measure.

Whether you enjoy watching the Bristolian is a matter of personal taste. But you cannot doubt, after watching the main event, that he is a level or two above a committed yet limited Morales.

So, at the age of 32, Haskins has now won seven on the spin. During that run, he became British and European champion. Now he has a world title too, and no one can say he doesn't deserve it.

Next Up

There was one very interested spectator watching Haskins’ first defence. Well, interested may be the wrong choice of word to describe what Stuart Hall thought of the main event, judging by his activity on Twitter:

Hall, a former holder of the IBF title in the bantamweight division, is waiting at the front of the queue to face the current champion.

The two Englishmen have history. Back in 2012, Haskins out-pointed Hall to win the vacant European belt at the 118-pound limit.

A rematch—this time with a world title on the line—looks a certainty to happen in 2016.

Haskins believes the outcome will be exactly the same the second time around. He stated the following in his post-fight interview after the victory over Morales, per Nick Parkinson of ESPN.co.uk:

"

All I was thinking in training for this fight is fighting Stuey Hall. I've beaten him easily before and I will beat him easily again. He has been talking some BS, I don't know whether it's because I've got more hair than him or what, but I will give him a boxing lesson again.

"

Journalist Paul Zanon suggested on social media that Haskins tends to rise to a challenge:

Hall will certainly pose a tougher test than Morales. He is tall (5’8”) and tough, as he showed in his gruelling 12-round contest with Rodrigo Guerrero in Leeds, England, back in April.

Considering what has happened in the past with the pair, they need to settle an old score in the near future.

All-British clashes for a world title are always a bit special, but Haskins-Hall has the potential to be a real cracker.

Brotherly Love

Morales always had a lot to live up to. His brothers—Diego and Erik—were both world champions in their professional careers. Yes, he’s related to the Erik Morales.

Yet the Mexican was less Ivan the Terrible and more Morales the Mediocre on Saturday.

His record suggested a world-title shot was a reach at this stage of his career, and so it proved.

The challenger was competitive, but he lacked the required level of skill to really pose problems for Haskins, a fighter who has been stopped in all three of his defeats as a pro.

Bad Left Hook pointed out Morales’ limitations on Twitter:

At 24, there is still time for Morales to come again. However, he may struggle to match the achievements of his two famous siblings (Diego was there working Ivan’s corner, by the way) without some clever match-making.

Best of British

Andrew Selby is a special talent.

In just his fifth fight—and only seven months into his pro career—the flyweight made history by becoming the new British champion. According to BoxingWales.com, he’s the fastest Welshman to ever achieve the feat.

Against Louis Norman, he showed he has the stamina required to prosper in the paid ranks.

The 27-year-old had never previously gone beyond Round 6 in his four pro outings, yet he comfortably went the full 12 in winning the Lonsdale belt.

Selby’s fast combinations—plus his ability to easily transition from orthodox to southpaw—impressed plenty of onlookers, including world champion Carl Frampton: 

Norman deserves plenty of credit for the way he applied himself against such a tricky competitor.

Yet it is hard not to get excited about Selby. He's good now, but there's still room for improvement. That is a scary prospect for his fellow flyweights, both at home and abroad.

It wasn't just a case of brotherly love when Lee Selby, the reigning IBF champion at featherweight, told David Williams of the South Wales Argus: "He [Andrew] does everything well. He’s fast, he’s exciting, he can box, he can fight, and on his day he can beat anybody."

It should be fun watching the younger Selby’s career progress in the coming months and years. Don't be surprised if he's fighting for a world title before the end of 2017.

And Finally...

A word for Craig Kennedy and Joel Tambwe Djeko, two cruiserweights who finished the card with a barnstorming battle that somehow lasted the scheduled 10 rounds.

Welshman Kennedy not only stretched his unbeaten record to 15-0, but he also claimed the vacant IBF International title. He was awarded the bout 95-93 by two of the judges, with the third official giving it to Djeko by the same score.

The outcome was questionable, particularly as Big Joe had dropped the home fighter twice. However, two 10-8 rounds were not enough for the giant Belgian to triumph.

What cannot be debated is the level of entertainment the duo provided. No one who watched the bout would be disappointed to see them do it all over again in a rematch.

We definitely need to see more of Big Joe in a British ring, that's for sure.

Follow @RobLancs79.