The latest boxing news from Hackney

Hard-hitting Hackney pair Ohara Davies and Anthony Yarde both collected wins on a Frank Warren show at The O2 on Saturday.

Davies was the first of the two borough boys in action on the night and took on Paul Kamanga of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who held the WBC international super lightweight belt.

‘Two Tanks’ had a height and reach advantage over Kamanga and took the fight to his opponent from the start, catching him with stiff left jabs.

In round two, a left hook followed by a right over the top dropped Kamanga for the full count.

By stopping the 24-year-old Davies became the new holder of the WBC international belt, making it 18 wins from 19 bouts.

Yarde, meanwhile, was defending his WBO intercontinental and European light heavyweight titles against Polish rival Dariusz Sek.

‘The Beast’ had a much tougher time than Davies in securing a win, though it looked like ending as early as the first round when Yarde dropped Sek with a left hook, with the Pole somehow recovering.

It was the first time in his career that Yarde had come up against a southpaw rival and at times that showed.

However, the 26-year-old was by and large in control throughout the bout, which referee Steve Gray stopped in the seventh round.

Victory saw Yarde extend his unbeaten record as a pro to 16 wins, with 15 of those coming by way of knockout.

The impressive wins for Davies and Yarde at The O2 will help the pair take a step forward in their respective quests for world honours.

* Hackney Wick’s Marija Malenica collected a silver medal in the Female A 64kg category at the Haringey Box Cup.

Competing for Dagenham BC, Malenica was unfortunate to lose a close final against Madeleine Angelsen from Vestby IL.

Hackney heavyweight Arnold Obodai had to withdraw from the competition after sustaining an eye injury in training.

It was a blow for Obodai, who had harboured hopes of collecting a medal at this year’s event.