Denzel Bentley responded to a turbulent stretch outside the ring with a unanimous decision victory over Shane Mosley Jr. on Saturday at London’s Copper Box Arena. Bentley scored a heavy knockdown in the second round and survived Mosley’s sustained pressure to win their 10-round middleweight fight by scores of 96-93, 96-94 and 95-94. The win improved Bentley to 23-3-1 and gave him a successful debut with Zuffa Boxing.
The result followed a sanctioning dispute that cost Bentley his WBO middleweight championship. The organization stripped him after he chose the Mosley matchup rather than a mandatory defense against Yoenli Hernandez. Inside the ring, Bentley looked capable of an early finish when he dropped Mosley with a hard right in the second, but Mosley recovered and forced the Londoner to box carefully through the remaining rounds. Bentley’s cleaner counters and enough late work earned the close verdict.
Afterward, Bentley named WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames and British rival Conor Benn as fights he would like next; Benn was at ringside. Neither matchup is confirmed. For Bentley, the win provides a useful answer to critics questioning his decision to leave his former promoter and give up the WBO belt. The next question is whether Zuffa can turn this return victory into a title opportunity rather than another prolonged wait between meaningful fights.