Boxing stunned as Nolan beats Larfield in ‘one of the best I’ve seen in years’

Australian boxing is in a brilliant place after one of the best fights of the year on the undercard of Dylan Biggs’ audition to fight Nikita Tszyu.

This was an absolute war. Photo: Fox Sports

Vegas Larfield and Albert Nolan — take a bow!

Australia has been treated to one of the great local fights as Albert Nolan retained the WBC Australiasian featherweight title in one of the more remarkable fights in recent memory.

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The most unfortunate part of the fight was that there had to be a winner and a loser because scores do not do the match up justice.

Nolan may have retained his title against the highly fancied Larfield, who came into the fight an $1.03 favourite to Nolan’s $11 odds, with a unanimous 77-75, 78-74, 78-77 decision but it really could have gone either way.

Larfield may have fought on cards featuring Tim Tszyu and Terence Crawford and showed what he could do but the 21-year-old served up an absolute classic against Nolan.

This was a war. Photo: Fox Sports

In the fourth round, Nolan was nearly out as Main Event’s Ben Damon believed he would have fallen through the ropes.

Larfield pushed Nolan up against the ropes and a big right hand nearly buckled the champ, but he was saved by the bell.

In the fifth, the referee asked Nolan if he has anything left — spoilers, he did.

In the sixth round, Jeff Fenech said: “What these two guys have shown, their mental capacity is amazing. What they’ve gone through in training and to bring this into the ring is just crazy. This has been one of the greatest contests I’ve seen in a long time.”

Bizarrely, it seems that the sixth round was just a two minute round, with Fenech saying: “The boys deserve it”.

While The Courier Mail’s Peter Badel called it “a disgrace” after the fight, it did nothing to take anything away from the contest.

By the last round, it was absolute disbelief as the pair kept the pace going despite the brutality.

Olympic bronze medallist Harry Garside said he wanted to see a rematch.

“Regardless of the result, I don’t want to see a rematch,” Fenech interjected. “Not if they’re one of my children or one of my boys.”

Nolan lands an uppercut. Photo: Fox Sports

“What a fight between Larfield and Nolan, oh my goodness,” Damon said when the final bell mercifully rang.

Fenech added: “I’m not going to ask you guys who won because I don’t know who won.”

Garside added: “I’m lost for words.”

Damon said it had been “one of the craziest nights of boxing we have seen in Australia.”

Fenech: “I cannot remember three fights on a card that are as competitive as this. I cannot recall in the history of me watching boxing. I’ve got goosebumps, I’m shaking. These two guys.

“What does it say about Australian boxing? For me, that’s as vicious as I’ve seen it.”

Garside said it was one of the best fights he’s seen in a long time.

Fans were absolutely blown away.

This Larfield vs Nolan fight is one of the best I’ve seen in years. An absolute brawl

— Ricky Bateman (@RickyBateman16) September 13, 2023

This Larfield v Nolan fight is a deadset street brawl!!! Great fight 🍿🍿 #boxing

— Todd Goslett (@gossy79) September 13, 2023

This is easily one of the fights of the year between Vegas Larfield and Albert Nolan. Both blokes will be feeling this for weeks!

— Liahm O'Brien (@LiahmO_Writing) September 13, 2023

This is possibly the best fight I’ve seen in years

Larfield and Nolan are warriors

— 91 03 21 22 PREMIERS 🐾🏆 (@SnoogThe) September 13, 2023

How good is this fight between Larfield and Nolan! 🤯 #BiggsMitchem

— Jai Marcus McAllister™️ (@JaiMcAllisterx) September 13, 2023

Nolan claimed the win. Photo: Fox Sports

Post-fight, Nolan and Larfield embraced as they did the interview in the middle of the ring.

“It was awesome just to share the ring with the big fella,” Nolan said.

“Awesome fighter, f**king, power too, it’s just awesome. I thank him and his team — sorry, my nose is broken.”

Nolan said he was happy he put on a good show with Larfield.

The vanquished youngster said he thought he’d done enough to win but praised his opponent and said “he deserved the win”.

And he added: “I’ll be back.”

Asked if he wanted to run it back, Larfield said: “100 per cent, I hate to lose, so if they’ll have the rematch, then I’ll definitely want that.”

Earlier Brandon Grach defeated Johan Linde in a brutal heavyweight four-rounder to kick off the night, followed by an epic six round middleweight fight won by Joel Pavlides over Cody Beekin.