SCENIC Rim boxer Dylan Biggs has secured his place in the WBC Middleweight Grand Prix final after defeating French contender Lancelot De La Chapelle by unanimous decision in Saudi Arabia.
The win continues a strong run for the 22-year-old, who has shown maturity and composure throughout the six-round tournament.
Judges scored the bout 60-54, 58-56 and 59-55 in Biggs’ favour, earning him a place in the final against Canada’s Derek Pomerleau in December.
Biggs, who has drawn praise for a calmer, more selective approach throughout the tournament, said mental resilience was decisive when the bout tightened in the middle rounds.
“I feel like I got to a point where we both wanted it just as bad as each other and I just had to dig that little extra bit,” he said.
“Those championship rounds, that extra one per cent, that’s what gets you over the line. I like to think I rose to the occasion.”
The semifinal continued an unusual run for Biggs, who has faced southpaws at every stage.
“It’ll be five southpaws in a row,” Biggs said.
“You don’t see that often. Derek’s an awesome competitor and it’s going to be a barn burner.”
He thanked supporters watching from home at an awkward hour.
“The crowd has been unreal,” he said.
“Everyone back home watching, I know it’s like 3.30 in the morning, but I appreciate it,” he said.
Coach Justin O’Leary said the team felt in control throughout and welcomed the tournament’s open-scoring system, which reveals tallies after each round.
“Knowing the scores after each round is a massive change for boxing,” O’Leary said.
“We were up by a few rounds so Dylan just maintained composure for the last couple of rounds.”
O’Leary added that the continued match up against southpaws has sharpened Biggs’ timing and decision-making.
“At first it wasn’t ideal, but now it has become an advantage,” he said.
“We’ve been sparring southpaws since April.”
O’Leary said victory in the final would elevate Biggs into immediate title contention.
“If Dylan wins this, he becomes mandatory for the WBC Silver title. That puts you right up among the top contenders,” he said.
