Make no mistake, while Josh Padley knew he was being brought in as a fall guy for unbeaten Portsmouth bunker-buster Mark Chamberlain, the little-known 28-year-old, an electrician by trade, was not turning up to the Wembley Edition opener as fodder.
Sparking an upset victory, as self-described “Chamberlain’s biggest fan” Turki Al-Alshikh watched on, along with a host of increasingly stunned players, the pocket rocket was busy punching the upper hand in every way.
Not only was he fighting for future titles and a dose of respect, but this career best success saw Padley move up Boxing news UK lightweight ranking from ninth to third.
Now sitting behind Maxi Hughes and Sam Noakes, despite the bout officially taking place at 140, either man’s next move could see an official inclusion at super-lightweight, such is the complexity of non-title affairs in relation to long term plans.
Regardless, Padley’s call to “get in touch” with any interested backers will now be answered with a well-deserved big payday.
Unpopular with many ahead of his Riyadh season debut, Padley comfortably moved up in weight and used spot-on tactics over 10 rounds to spread, confuse and confuse Chamberlain for long periods of the contest. The Armthorpe man previously joked that he had been booked into smaller venues than the one hosting his pre-match press conference.
After putting Chamberlain to the canvas in round eight and benefiting from a bonus takedown in round nine, Josh secured a unanimous decision victory and has now become a reliable player at 140, 135 or even 130.
