Boxing: Francesca Hennessy digs deep to beat Ellie Bouttell on points

British bantamweight Francesca Hennessy moved closer to a world title shot but had to dig deep for a tough points win over Ellie Bouttell at London’s Copper Box Arena.

In a clash of styles, Bouttell tried to rough Hennessy up on the inside, while Hennessy responded with sharp footwork and cleaner work at range.

At times the action was scrappy, and both fighters had to contend with cuts after an accidental clash of heads in the second round.

The result could have gone either way, but the judges scored it 95-95, 97-93 and 96-94 to hand Hennessy victory in the bout, which was shown live on BBC Two, with a majority decision.

«What a fight, great opponents, I have so much respect for her,» Hennessy said. «It was absolute war.»

With her eighth straight victory, the 21-year-old becomes the mandatory challenger for undisputed world champion Cherneka Johnson’s WBC title.

Nottingham-born Bouttell – who lives in China – suffered the first defeat of her professional career in her ninth bout.

Hennessy arrived at the Copper Box with momentum behind her and, as ever, walked to the ring smiling as she soaked up the occasion.

The Kent fighter has built a strong following, helped by a viral video charting her journey from an overweight youngster to a bantamweight contender on the cusp of world honours.

The quick-footed Hennessy settled into her rhythm, working behind her jab, but Bouttell, 29, was not in London to make up the numbers.

She pressed forward to close the distance, with both fighters cut after the accidental head clash – Hennessy on the forehead, Bouttell under her right eye.

Hennessy landed a sharp combination in the fourth, but Bouttell continued to march forward, landing heavy hooks in the middle rounds.

Promoter and manager Mick Hennessy cheered his daughter on from ringside, while Bouttell’s family, watching her compete in the UK for the first time, made their voices heard.

Bouttell’s punches were clearly having more impact but Hennessy summoned her resilience and matched her opponent punch for punch in the final rounds.

By the final bell, with both women having thrown close to 500 punches and showing the marks of battle, it was difficult to tell who had edged the contest.

Bouttell entered as something of an unknown quantity but leaves with many new fans. For Hennessy, questions remain about how she will fare against established world-level opposition.

A clash with Johnson would represent a significant step up, but Hennessy – who turns 22 in October – has made no secret of her ambition to become the youngest undisputed champion in boxing history.

That record is currently held by Gabriela Fundora, who achieved the feat at flyweight aged 22 years and 218 days – meaning Hennessy would need to do it by 26 May 2027.

In the co-main event, Dutch light-heavyweight Gradus Kraus won his 10th pro fight with a destructive second-round stoppage victory over Scotland’s Boris Crighton.

Kraus, 24, made a memorable ringwalk, dancing alongside his four-year-old daughter Gianna.

The heartwarming father-and-daughter routines have become a regular part of Kraus’ entrances as the pair danced to Soulja Boy’s Crank That.

Just minutes later, Kraus went from father to fighter as he landed a stinging left hook to the body in the first round, sending Crighton to the canvas.

Crighton, 32, admirably got back up to land a few clean shots early in the second, but Kraus’ blistering flurry dropped him again – although he was guilty of landing a punch while the Glaswegian had dropped to his knee.

A final left to the body with under a minute remaining forced the referee to wave off the contest.

While it is still early days and light-heavyweight remains one of boxing’s toughest divisions, promoter Ben Shalom said Kraus can «become the best light heavyweight in the world and a future PPV star».