British Scene Weekend Recap: All Square Between Hatton & N'dou

Dave Oakes recaps this past weekend's British action.

Photo © Ray Kasprowicz

Lovemore N’dou retained his IBO belt on Friday night after he and Matthew Hatton (pictured) fought to a draw in an uneventful fight in Stoke.

Neither man stamped their authority on the fight; N’dou seemed to start slowly before picking up the pace slightly in the middle rounds, whilst Hatton looked one-paced and lacking in any ideas throughout the fight.

The first round could’ve gone either way with both fighters seemingly content enough to check each other out whilst hardly throwing any noteworthy punches. Hatton took over the fight for the next few rounds, although that was more down to N’dou’s lack of ambition rather than anything Hatton was doing. Hatton was avoiding most of the South African’s desperate lunges and was having the occasional success of his own, usually with the straight right.

N’dou never really got going early on, he landed two decent looking body shots in the fourth but was looking like an old fighter trying to regain what he used to have. Despite having a well-known name there for the taking, Hatton still looked devoid of ideas as to how to deal with him.

Hatton was allowing N’dou’s disjointed efforts to look far better than they were. Hatton seems to be stuck in a style which is 99% jabs and straight rights; he sporadically throws a hook to the body and the occasional hook to the head but he’s embarrassingly limited for someone who’s had forty plus fights.

With a lot of the previous rounds having been close, Hatton inexplicably let N’dou outwork him in the eighth and ninth rounds. N’dou tried to increase the pace in the two rounds but it was Hatton’s lackadaisical approach to the rounds that swung them in N’dou’s favour. If Hatton had kept plodding along at the pace he had been doing, he would’ve won the rounds comfortably.

To his credit, Hatton realised he needed to finish strongly and forced himself onto the offensive in the final three rounds. He outworked N’dou as he finally let his hands go; he forced N’dou backwards with a steady output of jabs and straight rights, helping him to take all three rounds on my scorecard.

I had the fight scored 115-113 in Hatton’s favour but wasn’t surprised when the official scorecards made it a draw. One judge had Hatton winning 115-114, whilst another had in N’dou’s favour by the same score; the third and decisive judge scored it 114-114.

Hatton was furious after the fight but I feel he’s only got himself to blame. He let a fight that he was capable of winning slip through his fingers, if he’d shown the passion of the last three rounds earlier on, there would’ve been no purported controversy with the scoring.

Hatton has improved over the past eighteen months but still seems a mile away from being capable of winning a domestic title. N’dou, despite retaining his lightly regarded world title, looks like a fighter whose best days are very much behind him. He’s still teak tough but seems to be slowing down in both speed of foot and hand, the best he can hope for in the future is a couple of good paydays before retiring.

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British Scene: Matthew Hatton vs Lovemore N'dou Preview

Dave Oakes previews Friday night's welterweight match-up between Matthew Hatton and Lovemore N'dou.

Photo © Marty Rosengarten / Ringsidephotos.com

It must be hard fighting in the shadow of your brother for the whole of your career, but Matthew Hatton has the chance to step out of the shadow and enhance his reputation as a fighter in his own right this Friday night, when he takes on former world title holder and the current IBF #15 rated Lovemore N’dou at the Fenton Manor Sports Complex, Stoke.

N’dou, 47-11-1 (KO31), is the far more experienced fighter, he’s been a pro since 1993 and has fought much better opponents than Hatton has. He’s been in with five world champions – Junior Witter, Sharmba Mitchell, Miguel Cotto, Kermit Cintron and Paul Malignaggi, who he’s fought twice. He lost against all five but has always proved to be a hard opponent.

The high point of N’dou’s career came when he defeated Naoufel Ben Rabah to win the light-welterweight world title. N’dou and Ben Rabah put on a wonderful display of courage and passion, both fighters gave everything, but in the end it was N’dou’s superior fitness and chin that helped him survive the ferocious exchanges to outlast Ben Rabah. He lost the title in disappointing style in his next bout, a wide points defeat against Paul Malignaggi, before coming close to recapturing it, narrowly losing on a split decision against Malignaggi.

Hatton’s career has been a slow burner so far; he’s been a pro for nine years but has only ventured into domestic title class once, a points defeat to Craig Watson in a Commonwealth title fight eighteen months ago. He’s been criticised for being a protected fighter but what a lot of people fail to realise is that he hardly had any fights as an amateur before turning pro. It’s been a case of learning on the job for the younger Hatton.

The added pressure of being a Hatton has also put him under more pressure and in the spotlight more than most fighters. Having an older brother as famous as Ricky has been both a help and a hindrance for Matthew. Big things were expected of him purely because of his name and he’s received a lot of criticism for not setting the world alight like Ricky did when he turned pro. That said, he’s had the benefit of being on the undercard of big fight cards on both sides of the pond and has benefited from training in the same gym as Ricky.

Hatton, 37-4-1 (KO14), has gone four undefeated since the defeat to Watson, including wins against tough veterans Ben Tackie and Ted Bami. He seems to be improving as a fighter but still lacks versatility and punch variety; he only looks comfortable fighting at mid-range and seems content to throw jabs and straight rights for the most part.

N’Dou is ten years Hatton’s senior at 38 and has been there, done it and bought the t-shirt. It remains to be seen as to how much he’s got left in the tank at this stage of his career; he’s showed no major signs of deterioration as yet, although, I’ve got a feeling Hatton may be facing him at the perfect time.

I’d be extremely surprised if the fight ended early, N’dou’s got a granite chin and Hatton has never been in serious trouble in his career either. I believe Hatton will make the better start; out-jabbing and out-working N’dou before surviving a spirited late charge by the Australian based South African to edge a close and maybe controversial points decision.

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British Scene Weekend Recap: McCloskey & Sexton Win in Northern Ireland

Matt Chudley recaps this past weekend's British boxing action.

Friday saw mixed fortunes for two of Northern Irelands most popular fighters as Paul McCloskey claimed the European Light-Welterweight title in Magherafelt, while Martin Rogan failed to regain the Commonwealth Heavyweight title less than 40 miles away in Belfast.

First to enter the ring on the night was McCloskey, who found himself in a favourable matchup against Daniel Rasilla for the European strap after champion Souleymane M'Baye withdrew less than two weeks before.

Giving away 3 inches in height to the Spaniard, McCloskey swept the first three rounds with the greater volume and accuracy as he bobbed and weaved from side to side in his customary style to avoid the oncoming. Renowned for his sharp reflexes, the local fighter’s quicker hands allowed him to fire out a more authoritative range finder, as he managed to out-jab the taller Spaniard in the early going, while showing more pop as well.

In the 4th, a slightly discouraged Rasilla started to open up, and McCloskey responded by bringing his right hook into play, briefly stunning Rasilla at the back end of the round.

Unable to cause any serious punishment with Rasilla pressed up against the ropes on a couple of occasions in the 5th and 6th rounds, the Dungiven southpaw became more patient in his approach and looked to pick Rasilla apart as opposed to pressuring him.

McCloskey's patience was rewarded in the 9th when he caught his wide open opponent with a short counter right on the inside that put the man from Santander down. With plenty of time left in the round, McCloskey missed with a few wild uppercuts before catching Rasilla coming in again, this time with a straight left. The second knockdown prompted Rasilla's handlers to enter the ring and save him from any further punishment.

Improving to 20(10)-0, McCloskey can now look forward to bigger fights against the likes of Junior Witter, Souleymane M'Baye and Andreas Kotelnik, who all occupy the upper echelons of the European rankings.

Another possibility for the Matchroom Sport fighter is a clash with the winner of Matchroom’s December 4th edition of the prizefighter tournament which features 140lb fighters, 3 of which are already ranked by the EBU.

Over in Belfast, Martin Rogan once again found himself at a packed out Odyssey arena despite a much less stellar supporting cast than his last visit. Spurred on by his massive support, he came out more aggressively than the previous fight and tried to throw a barrage of hooks to the body of Sexton, who had seemed to have some stamina issues last time out.

With Rogan wanting to work on the inside, the 25 year old champion did his best to hamper the action in close by holding, while trying to keep the fight at longer range where he could use his snappy jab and straighter punches.

The best punch of the early going was a solid right from Sexton in the 3rd which stunned Rogan, but Sexton noticeably slowed down in the next two rounds. An overhand right in close quarters shook him in the 5th, but Rogan smothered much of his follow up attack, and the 38 year old challenger was unable to capitalise.

After composing himself in the interval, Sexton settled back into the contest with his trusty jab and began to catch Rogan with right hands as the 6th wore on. The closing moments of the round saw a despondent Rogan with his hands low and his head bowed.

After returning to his corner with a look of resignation, trainer Paul McCullough was left with little choice but to pull his fighter after a distant Rogan offered nothing back, later citing an arm injury.

With the loss, it looks like Rogan's unlikely run in the heavyweight division may have come to an end. If that’s the case, it’s still fairly remarkable what he’s been able to accomplish after turning pro at 33 years of age.

With the contest doubling as a British title eliminator, Sexton can look forward to challenging an old and shop worn Danny Williams for the Lonsdale belt next.

On the under-cards...

On the undercard in Magherafelt, British featherweight champ Martin Lindsay improved to 15-0 with an 8 round shutout of Ghanian Alfred Tetteh, while the 22 year old Barry McGuigan managed 122lb prospect Carl Frampton advanced to 3-0 with a third round stoppage win over 1-6-2 Hungarian Ignac Kassai.

In Belfast, local favourite and former WBO welterweight challenger Neil Sinclair (33-7) dispatched 38 year old Hungarian Janos Petrovics (18-29) with a vicious body attack, eventually forcing the referee’s stoppage in the 4th round.

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British Scene: Rogan vs Sexton II & McCloskey vs Rasilla Previews

Matt Chudley previews tomorrow night's Sky double-header, featuring two shows from Northern Ireland.

Sky Sports continue their impressive autumn line up with a split location live double header from two big cards in Northern Ireland this Friday.

In Belfast at the Odyssey Arena, local favourite Martin Rogan will be looking to regain the Commonwealth Heavyweight title he lost in controversial circumstances to Sam Sexton at the same venue back in May.

Meanwhile, across Lough Neagh at the Meadowbank Arena in Magherafelt, Dungiven's unbeaten southpaw Paul McCloskey headlines another big card with a challenge for the vacant European Light Welterweight title against short notice opponent Daniel Rasilla.

Sam Sexton vs Martin Rogan II

At 38 years old and having parted ways with highly regarded trainer John Breen to work out at a local amateur gym, the short but exciting career of Martin Rogan could be under serious threat. His moniker 'The Entertainer' is undoubtedly well earned with 2 domestic fight of the year candidates already in the books and another thriller is likely on the cards.

Rogan was a huge favourite heading into the previous encounter in May, and was criticised by many for taking on a soft opponent ahead of a possible European title fight. However, Sexton proved a far tougher opponent than originally given credit for, and the bout turned into a back and forth battle, that ultimately saw Rogan pulled by the ring doctor with his left eye almost completely shut, while Sexton was on the brink of being finished.

Though he may have almost completely lost the use of his left eye, Rogan had turned the fight on its head in the 8th after a tough 7th and after appearing to hold back against a defenseless Sexton for a stoppage from Dave Paris, the defeat left a bitter taste.

Sexton will no doubt look to once again capitalise on his superior boxing skills and try to pick the brawling Rogan apart from the outside. While Sexton did seem to have a good game plan and the necessary skills last time out, his lack of conditioning was almost his downfaill. This could once again be a factor, as having yet to go beyond 8, the scheduled 12 still poses questions for Sexton whereas Rogan showed during the Matt Skelton fight in February that he can stay strong into the championship rounds.

The added confidence and experience from claiming the belt last time out can only benefit the once beaten fighter from Norwich, while the 13 year age gap also looks favourable after a six month layoff for the pair.

Paul McCloskey vs Daniel Rasilla

Barry Hearn brings his unbeaten charge Paul McCloskey back to his home county of Londonderry in a fight for the European title with a strong supporting cast. The 19-0 southpaw had been set to challenge European champion Soulymane M'Baye for the strap but the Frenchman withdrew and vacated after sustaining a bicep injury in training.

While almost all of the biggest names in Irish boxing including John Duddy, Any Lee, Bernard Dunne and Rogan have suffered tough setbacks in the last 18 months, McCloskey has continued to quietly gain momentum in the 140lb division posting solid wins over the likes of Cesar Bazan and Colin Lynes.

An accomplished amatuer, having represented Ireland on numerous occasions and winning a silver medal in the EU championships, McCloskey got a late start to the pro game at 26 and reliant upon his sharp reflexes may need to be moved quickly if he’s to fulfill his potential.

Unsurprisingly there wasn’t a que of fighters atop the EBU rankings eager to take on the tricky stylist a few miles from his home on less than two weeks notice. The unenviable task fell to unheralded 15-2 Spaniard Daniel Rasilla who enters as an opportunist with nothing to lose.

A career lightweight, Rasilla has ventured to Ireland before in dropping a 12 round decision to Andy Murray for the European Union lightweight title in March on the undercard to Dunne-Cordoba. Up from his natural weight and with only 4 KOs to his name thus far, Rasilla will likely play spoiler and see if he can cash in on the erratic and often questionable mainland European judges provided by the EBU.

Also on the card in Magherafelt is British featherweight champion Martin Lindsay (14-0) who looks to stay busy over 8 against teek tough Ghanian Alfred Tetteh (10-3-2) ahead of a fight with mandatory challenger Jamie Arthur in the new year.

In action as well is Barry McGuigan prodigy Carl Frampton (2-0) who appears in his homeland for the first time as a pro. A successful amateur, having boxed internationally Frampton will be taking on 1-5-2 Hungarian Ignac Kassai as he looks to make an impression on the domestic super bantamweight scene.

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British Scene Weekend Recap: Paul Smith Edges Tony Quigley

Dave Oakes recaps this past Friday's British super-middleweight title fight.

Paul Smith claimed the British super-middleweight title on Friday night after an unconvincing split decision victory over Tony Quigley.

It was a scrappy fight in which neither man seemed to settle. Barely anything happened in the first round with both men looking frightened to commit in case they were caught with a counter punch.

Quigley improved in the second round, landing three solid jabs and a nice straight right. Whilst the round was close, Quigley gave the impression he was bossing it due to that fact he was walking forwards whereas Smith seemed too anxious to try and throw anything of any note. Quigley kept switching to the southpaw stance but was having very little success and looked rather uncomfortable in doing so.

The third was yet another close round but it Quigley who was the aggressor and took the round on work-rate alone. A overhand right late in the round from Quigley looked to have hurt Smith but the television replay showed that it was more of a slip or tangle of feet that caused Smith to lose his balance.

Smith finally started throwing punches in the fourth; he landed a nice left hook that seemed to give him the confidence to get involved more. It was still a close round but it was the first round in which Smith showed glimpses of what he’s capable of.

The fight from there on in was a close and scrappy affair with both fighters putting in disjointed performances. Smith was landing the occasional left hook whilst Quigley always tried to respond with a shot of his own. Smith was cut in the fifth round after a clash of heads, it wasn’t a bad cut and with master cutsman Mick Williamson in his corner, the cut was never going to be a problem for Smith.

Round eight was probably the best of a disappointing fight. Smith landed a hurtful left hook to Quigley’s ribs and seemed to be getting the better of the champion until Quigley responded with a big uppercut that had an effect on Smith’s legs. The left hook to the body was the first body shot that Smith had landed in the fight, considering he’s well known for his body punching, it was strange that he wasn’t prepared to throw any early in the fight.

Smith finished the fight the stronger; Quigley was blowing in the final four rounds but gamely fought back whenever Smith was starting to get the better of him. Smith was also feeling the pace in the final two rounds but did enough to edge the rounds.

Despite the MC announcing that it was a majority decision, the scores actually read 116-113, 116-112 in favour of Smith and 116-114 for Quigley making Smith the winner via a split decision. I had the fight a draw (115-115) but a lot of the rounds were very hard to score and the fight could’ve gone either way.

The undercard…

Tony ‘Bomber’ Bellew destroyed Jindrich Velecky inside a round. The heavy-handed Bellew landed a left hook a minute in that shook Velecky to his boots, Bellew is a vicious finisher and went to town with a flurry of shots to head and body. Velecky survived the initial onslaught but was floored twenty seconds later by a huge right uppercut.

The ending came in bizarre fashion, Velecky beat the count but when the referee let the action commence, Velecky was staring at his corner rather than at Bellew, who sprinted across the ring and landed two straight rights that convinced the referee to stop the fight.

Bellew correctly described himself as a smashing machine after the fight. He’s quickly gaining a reputation as one of the biggest punchers in British boxing and has a nasty streak in him that will stand him in good stead when he gets to title level. Keep an eye out for him in future.

Michael Jennings went through the motions in an easy points win over Laszlo Komjathi. Jennings was originally due to fight Kell Brook for the British title but Brook pulled out earlier in the week with flu. Jennings dominated the fight from start to finish and never needed to get out of second gear.

Olympic gold medallist James DeGale smashed the brave but limited Ally Morrison to a third round stoppage. DeGale looked sharp and focused as he put together beautiful combinations that hurt Morrison every time they landed. DeGale is improving quickly and is winning over the fans who disgracefully booed him on his pro debut.

Another former amateur star on the bill looked impressive; Frankie Gavin stopped the tough Steve Saville in the second round after a one-sided beat down. Gavin hurt Saville to the body in the first round and then dropped Saville with a body shot in the second. Saville beat the count but the referee correctly waved the fight over.

Jamie Cox remained unbeaten after his opponent, Manoo Salari, retired after the third round. Cox was always in control but is still smothering his boxing and getting involved too much rather than using his skills. He’s possibly the most impatient boxer I’ve ever known, both in the ring and out off it. He needs to settle down and learn how to pace himself if he’s to stand any chance against the likes of Kell Brook, who he unwisely seems very eager to meet.

Stephen Smith, Paul’s brother, took his record to 8-0 with an easy points victory over Gary Reid. Smith has got to be considered one of the hottest prospects in Britain and is one to watch out for in the future.

Liam Smith kept his unbeaten record intact by beating Darren Gethin on points after a lacklustre performance.

Joe Selkirk stopped journeyman Alex Spitko in the fourth round to take his record to 3-0.

Tobias Webb also took his record to 3-0 after a hard fought points win over Pawel Trebinski.

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British Scene Weekend Preview: Tony Quigley vs Paul Smith

Dave Oakes previews Friday's British super-middleweight title fight between Tony Quigley and Paul Smith.

Tony Quigley makes the first defence of his British super-middleweight title on Friday night in an eagerly anticipated all-Scouse clash against Paul Smith at the Echo Arena, Liverpool.

The fight has generated a lot of interest on Merseyside and has nearly sold out the 10,600 capacity arena. The fact that there seems to be a bit of needle between the pair has only added to the high profile nature of the build up around the Liverpool area. Personally, I’m unsure as to how much genuine bad blood there is between the two, I get the feeling a lot of it has been done to help the promotion.

I do feel there’s a fierce rivalry between the combatants but not to the level it’s been built up to. The supposed bad blood started when Smith did a radio interview in the build up to Quigley’s fight against another Scouser, Tony Dodson. Smith claimed that that he could knockout both Quigley and Dodson on the same night and went on to describe Quigley as a “never will be”. Quigley responded by beating Dodson to win the title and will now get the chance to prove once and for all who the best super-middleweight in Liverpool is.

Quigley, 13-1 (6KO’s) was exceptional the night he beat Dodson. He started the fight in fine style by dropping his rival in round two; he then had to survive a ferocious comeback from Dodson as the fight wore on before a gargantuan effort from him late on helped him to a 12th round stoppage win.

Quigley showed a bit of everything against Dodson, he boxed well in parts, brawled at other times, took some heavy shots, dug deep when he needed to and showed great finishing instincts. It’s even more impressive when you take into consideration that he took the fight at two weeks notice despite never going beyond six rounds before.

Before the Quigley-Dodson fight, Smith was the much better known boxer. He was a top class amateur and received a lot of attention when he participated in the American show The Contender. Smith left the show after just one fight having sustained two bad cuts in his points victory over David Banks.

Smith, 27-1 (15KO’s), is the more experienced fighter, as well as his victory over Banks, he holds wins over the heavy handed Cello Renda and onetime world title challenger Jonathon Reid.

Smith also had an extensive career as an amateur, boxing all around the world. The high point being when he won the silver medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, narrowly losing in the final to Jean Pascal, the current WBC light-heavyweight champion.

Despite his amateur experience and high profile, Smith has yet to reach the level that was expected of him when he turned pro. His career has never really got going and I get the feeling that this title shot has come at the perfect time for him.

Quigley has a slight advantage in terms of skill and speed but Smith is definitely the puncher in the fight. Smith can be a skilful boxer himself when he applies himself but at times in the past he’s let his heart rule his head and has ended up brawling more than boxing.

I feel the early rounds will be vital; Smith needs to stamp his authority on the fight as soon as possible and try to hurt Quigley. I think Smith will go to the body early, he’s a noted body puncher and Quigley has shown he’s susceptible to body shots before, particularly in the only defeat on his record against Nathan Cleverly.

I believe Quigley will look to box early on before standing his ground more as the fight goes on. If he can outbox Smith early, and avoid taking the energy sapping body shots, I feel he’ll come through a tricky moment or two to claim a narrow points victory.

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British Scene Weekend Recap: Rhodes Stops Moore, Napa and Bayaar Win, Rushton Injured

Dave Oakes recaps this past Friday night's Sky show.

Photo © Chris Royle

Ryan Rhodes became European champion on Friday night after stopping Jamie Moore in the seventh round of a classic domestic fight. Rhodes was a massive underdog going into the fight but out-toughed the usually teak tough Moore to claim the win of his career.

Moore started the fight well, repeatedly catching Rhodes with hooks to head and body in the opening round.

Moore continued the onslaught in the second round, he was beating Rhodes to the punch and was landing some hurtful body punches, a couple of which seemed to have an effect on Rhodes. The Sheffield man responded well to the heavy shots he was taking, firing back with his punches that made Moore think before he charged in.

Rhodes was expected to make full use of the ring whilst countering the aggressive Moore; instead he seemed intent on standing his ground and taking on Moore at his own game. This didn’t seem like the brightest of ideas, especially after the third round in which Moore teed off on him from start to finish with powerful combinations to head and body.

At the start of the fourth, it looked like it was a case of when could Moore get the stoppage, not if he could get the stoppage. There mustn’t have been many people in attendance who could have foreseen what was to happen.

Yet again Moore was the aggressor, he was seemingly far too big and strong for Rhodes to cope with. Rhodes was battling bravely and was having his own successes at times but Moore was landing some telling blows, in particular a left hook that rattled Rhodes’ jaw and visibly hurt the challenger. It was Rhodes though who landed the best punch of the round; he landed a vicious hook under the ribs bang on the bell that had Moore wincing and gasping for air as he made his way back to the corner.

The fifth round saw Rhodes getting dropped to the canvas, but it was a clear low blow that put him there. Despite the roars from the back of the arena, the referee correctly ruled it as a low blow and gave Rhodes the adequate time to recover. The round itself was very close, Moore was still pressing forward but Rhodes was increasingly upping his work rate and was now matching Moore punch for punch.

The sixth round was the first clear round that Rhodes won, you could make a case for him in another couple of rounds but this was the round in which he really made his mark. He was catching Moore repeatedly with spiteful body shots and was starting to boss the usually rock solid Salford champion around. To his credit Moore was still trying to force the pace but he was clearly tiring from his efforts in the earlier rounds, the number of heavy whacks to the body he was receiving didn’t help him to much either.

Moore tried to re-establish his superiority in the seventh but soon found himself on the canvas after a well timed counter right hook by Rhodes had him in all kinds of trouble. He managed to beat the count but he looked unsteady on his legs. He then, in typical Jamie Moore fashion, decided to go toe-to-toe with Rhodes rather than clinch and buy himself some time to recover. Amazingly he seemed to have turned the tide midway through the round and was once again hurting Rhodes to head and body.

Just when it looked as if Moore had weathered the storm and was beginning to break Rhodes heart, he inexplicably dropped his hands and was caught with a monstrous overhand right that sent him staggering backwards towards the ropes. Rhodes jumped on Moore straight away and unleashed a non-stop two fisted salvo that left the referee with no alternative but to stop the fight.

It was a remarkable end to a remarkable fight. A lot of credit has to be given to Rhodes, who at 32, showed he still has the appetite to dig deep and come through adversity to win. He’s had a career of many highs and lows but this has got to rank as the most impressive win of it.

It’s hard to believe that Moore will be able to rebuild from the defeat, he’ll still be able to compete at European level at either light-middleweight or middleweight but hopes of a world title shot now seem to have gone forever. It’s a shame that his world title dream has fallen apart after so many years of hard work and after spending the past three or four years begging to be given the opportunity he deserved.

Bizarrely, despite the fight being billed as a world title eliminator, it now seems that Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr has jumped ahead of Rhodes in the rankings and will fight Sergio Martinez sometime next year. Rhodes will have to be patient, let’s hope he doesn’t have to be as patient as Moore was made to be.

On the undercard...

Ian Napa recaptured the British bantamweight title after a close points decision over Gary Davies. A pumped up and emotional Davies started the fight at a furious pace, possibly letting the occasion get the better of him. His work rate was enough to secure him the first two rounds and make the next four close but it was the silky skills of Napa that dominated the fight from there on in.

Davies tried his hardest but was being beaten to the punch on the inside and at range. He had to survive some problematic moments late on in the fight as Napa unleashed two powerful uppercuts and numerous left hooks that had him rocking and rolling but he courageously hung on to hear the final bell.

Two of the judges had the fight in Napa’s favour (115-114 and 116-112) whilst the third judge scored it as a draw (114-114). I scored the fight 116-112; I felt that Napa’s work was the cleaner in the rounds that were close.

Shinny Bayaar produced the performance of his career to capture the British flyweight title after beating Stoke’s Chris Edwards on a split decision. Edwards, who was making the second defence of his title, never seemed to get going. He was unusually negative throughout the fight and only had himself to blame when the scores were announced.

The likable Bayaar was the aggressor for most of the fight, and despite not being able to hurt Edwards or get complete control over him, I felt he was the clear winner. Two of the judges scored it in Bayaar’s favour (117-112 and 115-113) whilst the third had Edwards winning 115-113.

David Price, the 2008 Olympic bronze medallist, won his third fight in the pro ranks after an uninspiring points decision over Yavor Marinchev. Price controlled the fight from start to finish but looked far from the potential world beater he’s being touted as.

Doncaster’s Jason Rushton was rushed to hospital after collapsing in the dressing room shortly after his fight against Brian Rose. Rushton was stopped in the tenth round after a hard fought fight but seemed to be fine initially.

He was induced into a controlled coma after scans revealed a small tear to brain tissue. His condition was described as being stable on Sunday and initial signs are good.

Everyone here at The Boxing Bulletin would like to wish Jason a speedy and full recovery.

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British Scene: Jamie Moore vs Ryan Rhodes Preview

Dave Oakes previews Friday night's SKY show featuring a 154 pound match-up between European title holder Jamie Moore and challenger Ryan Rhodes. Also on the card are two British title match-ups, with Gary Davis defending his bantamweight crown against Ian Napa and Chris Edwards putting his featherweight belt on the line against challenger Shinny Bayaar.

Being called the most entertaining fighter in Britain should be taken as a big compliment but for Salford’s Jamie Moore, it isn’t enough, he feels the time has come to stake a claim for being the best fighter in Britain. He starts this Friday at the Bolton Arena with an intriguing European title defence against former world title challenger Ryan Rhodes, with the winner becoming the mandatory challenger to WBC champion Sergio Martinez.

Moore has been desperate to step up to world title level for the past three or four years and is now about to dip his toe into it against the seasoned and dangerous Rhodes. This will be Rhodes (42-4 KO 28) biggest fight since the one year hiatus he took following his defeat to Gary Lockett in the summer of 2006. Rhodes’ career has been one of many ups and downs; he made a blistering start to his career, winning the British light middleweight title in just eleven fights, becoming one of the youngest ever title holders in its history (he’d only just turned 20) before failing in an ambitious attempt at a world title up at middleweight a year later.

The decision to move Rhodes up to middleweight so early in his career is one that still leaves me baffled. He was finding it hard to make the light-middleweight limit but had been doing so without it taking anything away from him, he certainly wasn’t looking weight drained. I believe his camp thought that Otis Grant was very beatable but that decision backfired when Rhodes was out-pointed by the tough Jamaican. I know that Rhodes himself has said that he moved up because he was struggling to make light-middleweight but you have to question the validity of that statement when you consider he can still make the weight now.

The defeat shouldn’t have had a detrimental effect on Rhodes’ career, I’m a great believer in the theory that a loss can sometimes make a fighter. Unfortunately for Rhodes, he suffered another defeat just eighteen months after his first loss, this time for the interim WBO middleweight title. It was in far more brutal fashion though; Jason Matthews knocked him out inside two rounds and almost destroyed Rhodes’ career.

A less than focused Rhodes then treaded water for years, facing journeymen opponents and failing to live up to the reputation he’d made when claiming the British title at such a young age. Even another shock knockout defeat wasn’t enough to fire him up; he looked totally disinterested with the sport when Lee Blundell stopped him in the third round of a fight in which Rhodes should’ve won with ease.

The turning point in Rhodes’ career came after his last defeat, a points loss against Gary Lockett just over three years ago. Rhodes seemed to be regaining his hunger in the four fights he had before facing Lockett but I sensed he rediscovered his confidence after running Lockett close on the scorecards. It was almost as if he realised that he could still be a champion if he fully dedicated himself again.

He regained his British title in 2008, nearly 12 years after first winning it, destroying Gary Woolcombe in brutal fashion. Woolcombe was the defending champion and the betting favourite going into the fight but Rhodes out-boxed him before producing a spectacular finish, knocking him clean out in the ninth round. The victory has definitely been the best performance of the second part of his career; he followed it up with good victories against Jamie Coyle and Vincent Vuma, as well as a routine knockout win over Janos Petrovics in his last fight to confirm that he’s back to his best.

Moore is also no stranger to the ups and downs of professional boxing, he’s suffered three defeats in his career (32-3 KO23) but has comeback from them well each time. It has to be said that his disqualification loss to Michael Jones was very debatable (Moore has two wins over Jones as well as the defeat), and the knockout defeat to Ossie Duran was as much to do with a hip injury rather than any punch Duran landed.

Everyone in Britain knows Moore as being an all action fighter but I feel his technical ability is often overlooked because of his aggressive style. The way he was catching and rolling away from punches in his war with Matthew Macklin was very impressive. He boxed clever as well as trading heavy punches that night and the victory looks even more impressive now that Macklin has become a European champion himself.

Moore has been looking sensational of late, respected European level fighters Roman Dzuman and Michele Piccirillo were both blown away early, neither of them being able to match Moore’s strength and aggression. Moore looks massive for the weight and seems to be hitting harder than ever, he’s certainly showed that he’s now well above European level and should be confident of winning a world title if he comes through on Friday night.

There’s no doubt that Rhodes will be the hardest test of Moore’s career, his switch-hitting style could cause Moore some problems and he has a wealth of experience to draw from. Despite the knockout defeats on their records, both fighters have solid chins, both also have respectable punch power and both firmly believe they’ve got the beating of each other. It has all the makings of a very good fight.

I can see Rhodes being very cagey early on, looking to counterpunch Moore rather than trading with him. Moore will be made to work hard to land clean punches but I think his size, strength and body punching will eventually take its toll on Rhodes. I wouldn’t be surprised if it went the distance but I’ve got a feeling that Moore will want to make a statement and stop him. I think Moore will have to be on top form to do so but I believe he’ll get a late stoppage win.

The Undercard...

The undercard sees two British title fights. Gary Davies defends his bantamweight title against Ian Napa, whilst Chris Edwards defends his flyweight title against Shinny Bayaar.

The fight between Davies and Napa should be an entertaining fight. The improving Davies is coming in off the back of two impressive victories, his second round destruction of Martin Power and his seventh round stoppage of Matthew Edmonds.

Davies is an aggressive boxer who hits very hard; he also has considerable height, reach and strength advantages over Napa. This won’t be anything unusual for the diminutive Napa but he must improve on his last outing if he wants to regain the British title he vacated a couple of years ago.

Napa looked like a fighter on the slide last time out when he lost his European title to Malik Bouziane. He didn’t have an answer to anything Bouziane did and allowed himself to be outworked on his way to a wide points defeat.

It could be that Napa just had a bad day at the office and will be back to form in this fight, but one thing is for certain, if he loses this fight, he won’t have many options left afterwards and would have to consider hanging his gloves up.

I think that could spur Napa on to victory, he’ll be determined to erase the memory of the Bouziane performance from his mind. Napa has always relied on his speed and skills; if he is on the slide then it could prove to be a very hard fight for him because Davies won’t take a backwards step all night. If Napa’s still got something left in the tank, which I believe he has, I think he should be able to outbox Davies to win on points.

Chris Edwards v Shinny Bayaar is an interesting match up. Bayaar has been disappointing so far in his career, losing four times in eighteen fights, usually when he’s tried to step up in class. He’s a hard fighter who looks to have a rock solid chin but unfortunately he doesn’t have much else in his arsenal.

Edwards is a much better fighter than his record (13-13-3) suggests but is no world beater by any stretch of the imagination. He likes to swarm all over his opponents, trying to grind them down with body shots. He doesn’t punch particularly hard but can sicken opponents with his relentless attacks.

I think this fight will undoubtedly go the distance, the early rounds will be close but Edwards’ better fitness and hunger will help win the late rounds to take a wide points decision.

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British Scene Weekend Recap: Booth Stops Hunter

Matt Chudley recaps this past Friday's British super-bantamweight title match-up between Jason Booth and Michael Hunter.

Jason Booth successfully defended his British super-bantamweight title for the 2nd time with an impressive one sided 5th round stoppage of Michael Hunter at the Seaburn Centre in Sunderland on Friday. It was a career best win for the slick Nottingham fighter, who also holds the Commonwealth bantamweight title.

Booth bobbed and weaved, as he looked capitalize on openings afford to him by Hunter who came out looking to use his size and strength and set a fast pace. The 5’4 man from Nottingham was able to time the 5’7 southpaw on several occasions with short left hooks in the first and really started to settle into his rhythm in the second.

With Booth quickly moving in and out of range and accurately countering, the challenger decided to set his feet to gain more purchase on his punches, but succeeded only in making himself even more of a stationary target as his poor timing and accuracy failed to improve. Having been out of the ring for 10 months, and without meaningful activity since losing in a bid for the IBF title to Steve Molitor in 2006, Hunter's rust was very evident.

By the third round it was now Booth who was the aggressor, pushing Hunter back as the former European champion fighter seemed out of ideas and was getting peppered by the smaller man.

After a dominant 4th from Booth who seemed to be picking his shots at will, Hunter’s corner sensed the fight was getting completely away, and gave their man a stern talking to, advising him to go out and give it his all. He responded by coming out with real intent for the 5th, but the fight slipped back into the same pattern with Hunter unable to pin the slick champion down. He was then forced to hold on, after Booth punished his body, before picking him apart for the remainder of the frame.

After the round, having failed to change the one-sided course of the fight, a dejected Hunter was retired by his corner without argument. Having looked out of sorts all night, he may very well need to give strong consideration to retirement from the sport.

Following the win, rumors of a big all Nottingham showdown with friend Rendall Munroe were quieted by promoter Frank Maloney and the two fighters. With a lack of domestic competition at 122lbs and the European and Commonwealth avenues blocked by Munroe, Booth will probably look to the 118lb division for his next opponent.

The obvious option is a rubber match with Ian Napa, should the Londoner regain his Lonsdale belt against Gary Davies next week. Booth could also be in the mix to take on European 118lb champion, Malik Bouziane.

On the undercard...

Tony Jeffries was given by far the toughest outing of his young career by Belarussian light-heavyweight champion Artem Solomko. Jeffries won every round on referee Andrew Wright's card in a scrappy contest but never came close to stopping Solomko, as he was extended the distance for the first time as a pro.

In his first fight under the Maloney banner, David Price looked unimpressive against Liridon Memishi who retired after two rounds due to a hand injury. Price seemed unable to press home his physical advantages and though in control, never looked like inflicting serious punishment on the German novice.

Also turning out for Maloney for the first time, much hyped super-middleweight prospect George Groves looked impressive in stopping an extremely negative Tadas Jonkus. With Jonkus (4-4) purely looking to survive, Groves forced the stoppage from referee Gary Williams in the 4th round after pinning the Lithuanian in the corner and firing in a barrage of unanswered punches.

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British Scene Weekend Recap: Cleverly Stops Fry

Matt Chudley recaps the British light-heavyweight title match-up between Nathan Cleverly and Courtney Fry.

Nathan Cleverly booked a December 5th European Title showdown with Antonio Brancalion with an impressive stoppage win over Courtney Fry at the York Hall on Friday. Facing his most technically sound opponent to date, Cleverly showed a maturity beyond his years in patiently picking the cagey boxer from Liverpool apart, before forcing a stoppage with a barrage of right hands in the 8th.

The 22 year old from Wales came out looking to attack the body in the first, while his rangy and awkward foe looked to load up with uppercuts. Fry came close on a few occasions, but it was Cleverly’s body shots and work rate that were the pick of the early action.

With long arms and a sturdy jab, Fry looked to hold in close while trying to keep the contest within his comfort zone with long range exchanges, but after Clevelry landed a lead right hand in the 3rd, the challenger was forced to hold on for survival purposes.

Having survived the 3rd round scare, Fry settled back into his rhythm, and it was Cleverly who next found himself in trouble. Dropping his hands in a momentary lapse of concentration, the Welshman was caught early in the 5th by a long looping left hook, and a follow up right hand. Both landed flush, and had Fry been a more concussive puncher, an upset might have been on the cards. Instead Cleverly gave Fry a smile and a nod and went back to work, catching Fry with an impressive uppercut later in the round.

After exchanging solid left hooks in the 6th, it appeared to be Cleverly who was slowing down, and in the 7th the momentum seemed poised to swing towards the 34 year old challenger. In the 8th though, Cleverly reasserted himself, staggering Fry with a big right hand, before laying into the former Olympian with an onslaught of rights. Cleverly quickly pushed off, stepping back to avoid smothering his work and giving the challenger no opportunity to recover, leaving Fry helpless to avoid further punishment along the ropes.

At this point, Victor Loughlin stepped in to end the bout, only to find himself on the canvas as the unsteady Fry collapsed on the man in charge. The time was 2:52 of round 8.

Cleverly still seems to be improving at an impressive rate but might be better off joining forces with an experienced trainer once he completes University next summer and leave the makeshift team of father Vince and Sports Network matchmaker turned trainer Dean Powell.

Though he may be advanced in age, Fry did show enough to suggest that he could capture a Lonsdale belt once Cleverly has moved on.

On the undercard...

2008 Beijing Olympian Billy Joe Saunders was given the toughest test of his fledgling pro career by tough Latvian Alex Spitko. Saunders was extended the distance for the first time in a scrapy four rounder with the Mansfield based journeyman showing real grit and pushing Saunders hard.

Returning from a four month ban, Derek Chisora completed the formalities with a 3rd round stoppage of 12-6 Georgian no-hoper Zurab Noniashvili. After the first round, the Georgian heavy seemed disinterested and almost baying for the canvas. Chisora may have gained little from the fight but could soon find himself competing against Audley Harrison for the British title vacated by Danny Williams.

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British Scene: Nathan Cleverly vs Courtney Fry Preview

Matt Chudley previews Friday's Sky sports show featuring Nathan Cleverly against Courtney Fry.

Photo © Justin McKie

This Friday night at the York Hall in Bethnal Green, Nathan Cleverly (pictured right against Danny McIntosh) defends both his British and Commonwealth light-heavyweight titles against 2000 Sydney Olympian, Courtney Fry. Though tipped as heavy underdog, Fry will be the most skilled opponent Cleverly has faced to date, and should provide a good gauge to evaluate the development of one of Britain’s brightest prospects.

This will be the first defense of the Lonsdale belt for Cleverly, having claimed the British title back in July with an exciting one sided victory over previously unbeaten Danny McIntosh. Along with having 2 belts on the line, a European title shot is also at stake for the fast rising star, as he’s been promised a chance to compete for the vacant European crown on the under-card of Amir Khan’s WBA title defense in Newcastle later this year.

Now 17-0, the young Welshman enters the bout ranked by all four major sanctioning bodies, and is ranked in the top 10 by the IBF and WBO. Tall at almost 6’4, with fast hands and cultured boxing skills, Cleverly’s recent performances have offered little opportunity for criticism. It must be said though, that having faced a lack of quality opponents on the domestic scene, his chin and big fight temperament have yet to be tested.

With five of his thirteen wins coming inside the scheduled distance against even more modest opposition, the 13-2 Courtney Fry likely doesn’t have the power to ask questions of Cleverly's chin. However, the highly decorated amateur, with many more years in the sport, may possess the skills to frustrate the young fighter and will likely present him with problems he hasn't encountered before.

Traditionally the biggest weapon to offset the speed of a quick opponent has been the jab and the 34 year old scouser has an educated and effective one which helped him to gain a berth as one of only two British competitors in the 2000 Olympics as well as a silver medal at the European Championships and Gold in the Commonwealth games.

A late start to the pros combined with injuries and promotional issues have seen Fry unable to recapture the same form in the paid ranks and a 2005 loss to upset specialist Ovil McKenzie almost saw him quit the sport for good. Fry did rekindle his career with a solid win over unbeaten Nigerian prospect Tony Salam and looked ready to make a run at the British title under Frank Maloney but then opted to enter the light heavyweight edition of Prizefighter.

Though the Prizefighter competition style is not all that dissimilar to the amateur game, Fry had become a notorious slow starter in the pros and was outworked in the semis by Tony Oakey and once again found himself at a loose end. Backed into the same corner as Olympic team-mate Audley Harrison was last week, Fry will need a special performance Friday night to give his career a much needed boost.

On the undercard...

Derek Chisora will be returning to the ring after serving a four month ban for biting the ear of journeyman Paul Butlin back in May. Tyson Fury's main verbal sparring partner, the 10-0 Chisora could find himself in the picture to face Audley Harrison for the vacant British title with an impressive win over 12-6-1 Georgian Zurab Noniashvili.

2008 Olympian Billy Joe Saunders will also be back out, going against 6-15 Latvian trial horse Alex Spitko. View by many as the best pro prospect of the UK Olympians, the 20 year from Hertfordshire will be looking to make it four stoppage wins from four in his first appearance at the storied York Hall.

Also appearing will be the three Walsh brothers Michael, Ryan and Liam. Former ABA champ Michael and younger twins Ryan and Liam bring a large following from East Anglia and will be looking to add to the unbeaten records against limited opposition.

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British Scene Weekend Recap: Murray Stops Thaxton

Dave Oakes recaps Saturday's British lightweight title fight between John Murray and Jonathan Thaxton.

Photos © Justin McKie

In a battle of former British champions, John Murray came out on top on Saturday night, stopping Jon Thaxton in the fourth round to reclaim the British lightweight title.

Murray lost the title on the scales last time out and was determined to put things right this time around. Thaxton was also fired up, knowing that victory would secure him permanent possession of the Lonsdale belt, whilst defeat would surely bring an end to his long career.

It was Thaxton who started the better, pot shotting and moving before Murray had a chance to counter. Murray seemed to be taking his time whilst keeping his hands held high and his chin tucked down. His defence has been viewed as one of his weaknesses but his concentration levels were high right from the first bell against Thaxton, who’s a noted puncher early on in fights.

Murray found his rhythm in the second round, he landed an overhand right early in the round that stiffened Thaxton’s legs. Murray normally goes all out for the knockout against a hurt opponent but he seemed intent on not taking any risks in this fight and stuck to boxing behind a high guard and using his speed to counter Thaxton.

Murray dominated the round, landing the overhand right repeatedly and using his speed advantage to full effect. He caught Thaxton with a hard left hook on the bell that seemed to hurt Thaxton again.

Thaxton tried to re-establish control in the third but was being beaten to the punch and was feeling every blow that Murray landed. It was yet another overhand right that had Thaxton hurt midway through the round, this time Murray followed it up with a hard left uppercut and a left hook to the body.

It was increasingly looking like Thaxton was having one fight too many and his usual sturdy punch resistance was starting to let him down. He was hurt yet again towards the end of the round when Murray detonated another heavy left hook onto Thaxton’s chin.

The end came in the fourth when a Murray right hand had Thaxton staggering backwards towards the ropes, the referee jumped in after Murray followed up with a couple of hooks but I felt that the stoppage was a touch premature.

Thaxton wasn’t that badly hurt, and whilst he was more than likely going to get stopped in the next couple of rounds, I felt he deserved a chance to turn things around. He’s been a pro for over fifteen years and has been in the mix at championship level for most of his career, I feel a fighter like that should be given a bit more of a chance to prove he’s okay to continue. That said, I can’t criticise the referee for erring on the side of caution, I’d rather see a fight being stopped a touch early than it being stopped too late.

Murray takes his unbeaten record to 28 fights (16 KO’s) and is keen on fights against Anthony Mezaache and Michael Katsidis. A fight against Katsidis has the makings of a ‘fight of the year’ type fight but I’m unsure as to how easy that fight would be to make.

The defeat must surely mean the end of the road for Thaxton. He’s had many highs and lows in an eventful career that has seen him claim both British and European titles. He always gave his best and can leave boxing with his head held high.

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British Scene Weekend Recap: Harrison wins Prizefighter Heavyweight III

Matt Chudley recaps this past Friday night's Prizefighter Heavyweights III show.

By clinically dispatching the Prizefighter field, once prized commodity Audley Harrison not only gained £32,000, but appears to have put himself in line for yet another opportunity to make a dent on the heavyweight division.

The victory could not have come at a better time for Harrison, as it appeared the Sydney Gold Medalist was out of chances after losing to Martin Rogan and being let go by Frank Warren last December.

Let’s get right to the action…

Round 1 – Scott Gammer vs Coleman Barrett

The first bout of the night saw former British champion Scott Gammer taking on inexperienced and undersized Irishman Coleman Barrett. A former bronze medalist in the junior world amatuer championships almost a decade ago, Barrett displayed his speed and quick hands early, peppering the bigger man and quickly moving in and out of the pocket.

Looking for the big shots, Gammer was outworked early as Barrett kept moving while Gammer plodded. Setting his feet and looking to land heavier shots, Gammer found more success in the 2nd with accurate left hooks, using his size and strength to pressure the younger man.

The underdog Coleman was back on his toes in the third and despite a late push from Gammer in the closing seconds, did enough to get the nod on the judges scorecards with a 29-28 verdict on all three cards.

Round 1- Danny Williams vs Carl Baker

The second bout pitted former world title challenger and one of the most popular fighters in the UK, Danny Williams against unheralded southpaw Carl Baker.

Showing little regard for the early threat of the 287lber, Williams seemed happy to engage the heavy handed brawler. That proved a mistake, as a powerful right hand from Baker in the opening exchange caught Williams high on the side of the head and sent him down to the canvas. Williams rose on unsteady legs to beat the count but was down again soon after by a partially blocked right hand and absorbed further punishment while covering up on the ropes.

Still not fully recovered Williams was back on the canvas early in the second from what appeared to be another right cross but fortunately for him it was mistakenly called as a slip. Despite the further trouble, Williams started to find his way back into the contest in the round, and knowing he needed a knockout, came out firing in the final frame.

He went straight after the fleshy torso of the Sheffield man, before rocking him with a right hand that left Baker reeling around the ring and seemingly on the verge of being stopped. With the crowd on their feet Baker tried to hold as best he could and Williams managed to smother much of his work, leaving the 27 year old to see out the 3rd and take a huge upset victory on the cards.

The shocking loss deprived the 5,000 strong crowd at the Excel center the chance of seeing the anticipated rematch between Williams and Harrison, but once again proved that anything can happen in the Prizefighter format.

Round 1… Audley Harrison vs Scott Belshaw

With his bitter rival now gone, Harrison launched his campaign against Scott Belshaw. With Harrison starting cautiously, it was Belshaw who appeared to be taking the first round with greater activity. That was until Harrison caught Belshaw coming in with a straight left to the chin. The big man from Northen Ireland dropped after a delayed reaction.

Harrison was happy to sit back in the second too, but later in the round once again found Belshaw flush with a short left after Belshaw charged in behind a wide looping right. The sound of the bell was not enough to save Belshaw as referee Dave Paris waved off the fight.

Round 1… Danny Hughes vs Neil Perkins

The final opening round match-up saw two unheralded novices and former sparring partners in Danny Hughes and Neil Perkins fighting for the right to face Harrison in the Semi-finals.

After a lively and aggressive start, Hughes stepped forward, putting all his weight into a huge right cross that caught the smaller Perkins flush on the chin. Perkins struggled mightily to get up, and did manage to get to his feet but the bout was wisely stopped. It was all over in less than a minute.

Semi-Final…Coleman Barrett vs Carl Baker

In match-up of upset winners, the lightest and heaviest fighters squared off in the first semi as Coleman Barrett took on Carl Baker.

Having come through the war with Williams, Baker again started well, arguably taking the first round with an accurate jab that landed whenever he threw it. However it became apparent in the second that Barrett had been pacing himself early, and was much the busier of the two fighters the rest of the way. He intelligently moved in and out of range, catching Baker with quick hands and rocking him the third with a two fisted attack to take the fight by 29-28 scores on all 3 judges cards.

Semi-Final… Audley Harrison vs Danny Hughes

Employing a different strategy this time, Harrison took the centre of the ring and looked to push Hughes back, believing that he would be much less effective on the back foot. Though enforcing his ring generalship, Harrison was decidedly negative, not committing with anything until midway through the second when Hughes started to try and press the fight. After taking a couple of solid lefts in the second, Hughes was put down in the 3rd from Harrison’s accurate counters and forced to hold on. The scores were 30-26, 29-27, 29-28 in favor of Harrison.

Final… Audley Harrison vs Coleman Barrett

With clear similarities between the tournament format and the amatuer game, it was probably no surprise that the two most decorated amatuers in the field found themselves in the final.

The bout got off to a nasty start as Barrett deliberately headbutted Harrison on the blind side of referee Dave Paris. Had the man in charge seen the infraction, it would have almost certainly meant a deduction on the cards.

Instead it may have served to rattle the always anxious Harrison, who found himself thoroughly out boxed by the Irishman in the first 3 minutes. Barrett moved in and out quickly throughout the opening frame, hitting a confused Harrison at will.

After continuing to look panicked and out of ideas in the second, Harrison suddenly came to life, finding success with his powerful left. After a good 30 second stretch where the big man landed some sharp blows, he connected with a hard left hand that caught Barrett flush on the chin as the Irishman was backing away.

A lifeless Barrett fell backwards on the ropes and down to the canvas, with his corner quickly on their way into the ring. Barrett managed to get to his feet, but Paris had seen enough and the 37 year old Harrison was the winner.

Following the trophy presentation the self-managed fighter who is now based in California stated that he had formed an alliance with the events promoter Barry Hearn and will be looking towards British and European titles once more.

e-mail Matt Chudley Read more!

British Scene: Prizefighter Heavyweights III Preview

Matt Chudley previews tomorrow night's Prizefighter Heavyweight tournament.

Tomorrow night at the Excel Arena, Sky Sports presents the 3rd Heavyweight installment and 7th overall addition of Barry Hearn's Prizefighter series. With the highest bounty to date on offer, Hearn has managed to entice some of the biggest names in the domestic heavyweight scene to tomorrow night’s tournament – though the withdrawal of former British and Commonwealth champion Michael Sprott has left the field's overall star power somewhat diminished.

The early demand for tickets caused the one night tournament to be moved from the pokey confines of the York Hall to the 5,000 seat Excel Arena which also saw the two previous encounters between the two men expected to meet in the final, Danny Williams and Audley Harrison.

Williams and Harrison's first fight at the venue drew 8 million viewers on ITV with Harrison heading into the bout unbeaten in the pros after clinching a gold medal at the 2000 Olympics, and Williams not long removed from memorable victory over Mike Tyson and a world title challenge against Vitali Klitschko. Though the circumstances might be very different this time around, the rivalry remains as hotly contested as ever with Williams risking his British crown to follow Harrison into the 8 man elimination tournament.

Opening the show and tipped as the third favourite, former British Champion Scott Gammer (18-4-1) comes in on the back of four defeats in his last five fights. In 2006, Gammer became the first Welshman to claim the Lonsdale belt in 22 years but was soon relieved of the title by an in shape and motivated Danny Williams.

He then went on to lose fights to John McDermott and unbeaten European prospects Francesco Pianeta and Robert Helenius. Still only 32 and having once shown promise, Gammer could potentially cause Williams problems over the 3 round distance in the semis as he held his own early in their previous fight.

Going up against Gammer in the quarters is undersized Irishman Coleman Barrett, who sports an unspectacular 8-0 record with 2 stoppage wins. The 6'1 southpaw was essentially a cruiserweight through his first 6 fights before taking an almost four year hiatus from the sport and returning as a heavyweight. While there’s little on his pro ledger to signal himself as a threat for the £32,000 prize, Barrett did capture 5 Irish amatuer titles and a bronze at the junior world amateur championships so may be suited to the three round format.

With the presence of Danny Williams, the tournament can boast having a reigning British Champion in the field for the first time – certainly a sign of the event’s increasing appeal among fighters in the British Isles. Williams may have lost his last three fights in the eyes of many but a stoppage defeat to Albert Sosnowski sandwiched between controversial majority and split decision wins over John McDermott have done little to discourage the 36 year old from choosing to continue his career. As ever it’s almost impossible to predict how the mercurial Williams will perform on the night, but should he show up in shape and keen to boost his bank balance, he must be considered the favourite.

Looking to upset the Williams apple cart is the equally unpredictable and bloated Carl Baker (8-3). The 6'4 southpaw from Sheffield, who often tips the scales at over 300lbs has managed to avenge two of his three defeats with the other being to fellow entrant Scott Gammer and has acquired the meaningless 'British Masters' title in the process. Spurred on by the dismissive words of Mike Tyson who said that he had no chance when the former World Champ conducted the draw, Baker is eager to prove a point.

Once again talking of world titles, Audley Harrison gets a last chance to make a mark on the professional boxing ranks after a career of unfulfilled potential and wasted talent. A 6'4 Southpaw with an Olympic Gold Medal and a large contract from the BBC, Harrison seemed set for big things but a series of lackluster performances against weak opposition caused many observers to label him as 'Fraudly' even before he went on to lose to the likes of Danny Williams and Dominick Guinn.

With all the necessary physical advantages but none of the intestinal fortitude, Harrison was given second and third chances after signing with Frank Warren but was then dumped by the promoter after dropping a ten round decision to Martin Rogan. At 37, Harrison could find himself in a fight for the vacant British title by clinching the tournament and could possibly have one last throw of the dice with three wins on the night.

Facing Harrison in the first round of the competition is Northern Ireland's Scott Belshaw. The 6'7 puncher was overmatched last time out against Tyson Fury and while his technique is horrendous, he does possess the kind of size and power that have terrified the Londoner before. Labeled as the Irish George Foreman early in his pro career by promoter Frank Maloney, Belshaw is there to be hit and should Audley show any kind of desire his passage to the next round should be assured.

Yet to face an opponent with a winning record is Sunderland’s Danny Hughes. The fleshy 6-0-1 fighter was set to face Michael Sprott, but with the former British and Commonwealth champion pulling out of the event following the death of his sister, Hughes will now take on Neil Perkins in a battle of unheralded and inexperienced fighters.

Like his opponent, the 4-0 Perkins is yet to post a victory over a fighter with a winning record and the victor is likely to be a massive underdog at the semi final stages. A former ABA finalist and only 4 fights into his pro career, Perkins may benefit from being stuck in his amateur ways with the 3 round distances. Read more!

British Scene Weekend Recap: Macklin Annihilates Asikainen

Matthew Macklin claimed the vacant European middleweight title this past weekend in Manchester, making quick work of Finland's Amin Asikainen. Dave Oakes has the recap.

Photo © Chris Royle

Matthew Macklin became the European middleweight champion on Friday night after a stunning first round stoppage of Amin Asikainen. Asikainen was regarded as being Macklin’s toughest challenge to date but he couldn’t survive a round against an on fire Macklin.

Both fighters started cautiously, seeming happy to take a look at each other before firing the occasional range finder. That all change just after the midway point in the round when Macklin landed a huge left hook that dropped Asikainen heavily, it looked as if the fight would end there and then as Asikainen’s head bounced off the canvas.

He managed to beat the count but was on unsteady legs, the referee allowed him to box on but it was clearly only a matter of time before he was going to get stopped. Macklin finished off the job just thirty seconds later when he sent Asikainen sprawling to the canvas after two clubbing right hooks connected to the side of Asikainen’s head. He beat the count yet again, but this time the referee had seen enough and waved the fight off.

Asikainen complained bitterly about the stoppage but his eyes looked unclear and his legs weren’t exactly sturdy either. If the referee had allowed him to box on, I feel he would’ve been dropped again almost immediately.

The win puts Macklin in a great position in the rankings; he mustn’t be too far away from a world title shot. He’s in a weight division that’s fairly devoid of big names and top class talent, so you’d have to think he’d be in with a great chance of winning a world title if he can consistently reproduce the form he’s shown in his past two fights.

He seems to be targeting a fight with Sebastian Sylvester, a fighter who’s won one and lost one against Asikainen. I think Macklin stands a very good chance of beating Sylvester, especially if his promoter can secure him hometown advantage.

Check out Chris Royle's photo gallery of the main-event: Matthew Macklin vs Amin Asikainen

On the undercard...

The undercard was a collection of mismatches that provided a few highlight reel knockouts, the main one being Cello Renda’s obliteration of the previously unbeaten Sam Horton. The light punching Horton unwisely decided to stand and trade with the extremely heavy-handed Renda; he was knocked down early in the second round but didn’t seem to learn from this and walked onto a monstrous left hook just seconds afterwards.

The shot hit him with such force that he was unconscious before he hit the canvas, the referee sensibly decided not to bother with a count and waved for medical help immediately. Thankfully, after a few worrying minutes, Horton got to his feet with nothing more than his pride hurt.

Joe Murray scored the first knockout of his fledgling career, stopping the durable Delroy Spencer in the first round. Murray was teeing off on Spencer for most of the fight forcing the referee's intervention.

The undefeated Scott Quigg kept his record intact with a two round blow-out of the hapless Nico Schroeder. Quigg looks to be a top talent but needs more competitive fights than this to help him progress.

Other results...

Martin Murray bt George Aduashvili KO 1, Mark Thompson bt Gari Abajian TKO 5, Denton Vassell bt Vasile Surcica PTS, Rhys Roberts bt Steve Gethin PTS, Anthony Crolla bt Jon Baguley PTS, Andreas Evensen bt Gianpiero Contestabile TKO 5, Graeme Higginson bt Adam Kelly PTS.

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British Scene: Matthew Macklin vs Amin Asikainen Preview

Dave Oakes previews tomorrow night's match-up between Matthew Macklin and Amin Asikainen for the vacant European middleweight title.

Photo © Justin McKie

Matthew Macklin (pictured after his recent victory over Wayne Elcock) makes the step up to European level this Friday when he faces former champion Amin Asikainen for the vacant European middleweight title at the Manchester Velodrome.

This will be Macklin’s first fight since his impressive three round demolition job of Wayne Elcock earlier this year. That victory was the best of Macklin’s career to date; he stalked Elcock from the first bell, working his way cleverly into range before unloading heavy punches that seemed to shake Elcock every time they landed.

Macklin has been accused of rushing his boxing in the past but that night he seemed to be using a calmer and more controlled method of aggression than he had done previously. Hopefully that’s going to be the style he sticks with for this fight, he doesn’t want to engage in a war with Asikainen as the big Fin is heavy handed enough to hurt Macklin.

Asikainen’s punch power is definitely his main attribute but he’s also a good technician. He keeps his chin tucked down, likes to box behind the jab and waits patiently for openings before committing himself to an attack. The only flaw in his makeup is that he tends to fall apart when he’s going through a difficult period in a fight.

The only two defeats on Asikainen’s record came by stoppage, against Sebastian Sylvester and Khoren Gevor respectively. He was doing okay early in the fight against Sylvester, a fighter he’d previously beaten, but seemed to fall apart when Sylvester started to land some heavy shots of his own. The same goes for the Gevor fight, he capitulated as soon as Gevor began getting his own way. It’s a worrying trend that I feel will show again in this fight.

Macklin has also got two defeats on his record, a debatable points defeat against Andrew Facey and the brutal ‘fight of the year’ knockout defeat to Jamie Moore. Macklin showed incredible courage in the Moore fight and I believe his will to win is far greater than Asikainen’s.

Macklin’s career has been a slow burner up to now, one in which he’s repeatedly changed trainers and promoters. I’ve always sensed that Macklin was trying to find somewhere he felt comfortable. With any luck the new deal he recently signed with his big mate Ricky Hatton will put an end to his flitting between promotional outfits. He needs stability at this stage of his career, at 27, he's just coming into his prime and needs to concentrate fully on his boxing if he wants to achieve his dream of winning a world title.

As a side note, this will be Hatton Promotions first televised card of an eight show deal they recently agreed with Sky. It’s a big night for the new boys on the promoting scene in Britain; it should be interesting to see how they evolve over the next few years.

I think this will be a great fight for Macklin to progress his career with, he’ll have to be careful in the early rounds but I can see him outboxing Asikainen whilst steadily increasing the tempo on his way to a stoppage victory somewhere in the last four rounds.

A packed undercard features prospects Joe Murray, Denton Vassell, Scott Quigg and Rhys Roberts.

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British Scene Weekend Recap: Daws Defeats Morrison To Regain Title

Dave Oakes recaps this past weekend's British light-welterweight title fight between Lenny Daws and Barry Morrison.

Photo © Justin McKie

Lenny Daws (pictured right) captured the vacant British light-welterweight title on Friday night after gaining revenge over Barry Morrison at the York Hall, Bethnal Green. Morrison, the only fighter to have defeated Daws, was stopped in the tenth round after a bruising battle eventually took its toll on the hardened Scotsman.

Daws made an uncharacteristically fast start to the fight, pushing Morrison back with stiff jabs before flailing away with hooks. Morrison responded with hooks of his own but it was the higher work rate of the Londoner that secured the first round.

The frantic pace continued in the second round, though it was Morrison who was bossing the round this time. Both fighters were happy to take a punch to land one, with Daws walking onto a beautifully timed uppercut before retaliating with a classy straight right later in the round.

The pattern of the fight had been set in the first two rounds, with the next four rounds being close, hard fought and difficult to score. Neither man was prepared to surrender ground or slow the pace down, every time one landed a solid punch, the other would land something just as impressive in return.

I had the fight scored even going into the seventh round but felt that Daws was looking the physically stronger fighter. The seventh was another close round but it seemed to me that Morrison was starting to tire late in the session.

Daws won the eighth round comfortably and was starting to push Morrison back with ease. Again, it was noticeable late in the round that Morrison was starting to wilt under Daws’ relentless pressure. At one point Morrison dropped to his knees, even though the referee didn’t issue a count, it was a clear indication as to how tired Morrison was.

Morrison tried to buy himself time in the ninth by spitting his gum shield out twice but it was to no avail as Daws kept upping the pace. Despite the fact Morrison made a valiant effort late in the round, it was Daws who clearly took the round.

The end came midway through the tenth when the tiring Morrison was caught with a three punch combination that sent him sinking to the canvas. His head looked clear but he was visibly exhausted and he elected to stay down on one knee whilst the referee counted him out.

Daws now moves to 20-1 and will be looking to have a more successful reign this time than he had the first time he held the title.

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British Scene: Lenny Daws vs Barry Morrison Preview

Dave Oakes previews tomorrow night's Sky main-event between Lenny Daws and Barry Morrison.

Photo © Justin McKie

Barry Morrison takes on old foe Lenny Daws (pictured) this Friday when the two face off in a rematch for the vacant British light-welterweight title at the York Hall, Bethnal Green.

Morrison comes in at late notice after Ajose Olusegun chose to vacate the title last week rather than face Daws. Olusegun is now due to fight Romanian Ionut Dan Ion next month in a world title eliminator. His withdrawal has opened the door for Morrison to reclaim the title he lost to Colin Lynes just over two years ago.

Morrison became champion by beating Daws in what remains the only blip on Daws’ record. Their original meeting was an enthralling slugfest that could’ve gone either way, the judges favoured Morrison by split decision but a lot of ringsiders and viewers, myself included, had Daws winning.

Daws has struggled to find his form since losing the title to Morrison and will be hoping that a victory on Friday night will kick-start his career. Morrison has also struggled since their first meeting, losing to David Barnes as well as the aforementioned defeat to Colin Lynes.

It’s also worth noting that Morrison has been fairly inactive of late, having fought only once since his defeat to Barnes in July of last year. Daws has fought three times in that period, albeit against fairly limited opposition. It remains to be seen whether or not the lack of preparation and ring sharpness will influence Morrison’s performance but it doesn’t seem to be the ideal preparation for what will be the biggest fight of his career to date.

I can see this fight being very similar to their first, both fighters will be prepared to stand toe to toe and it could come down to fitness rather than finesse. Daws and Morrison are predictable in their style; they come forward, throw punches non-stop and try to grind their opponents down, they’re never going to box and move but they do what they do extremely well.

I believe the fight will be close early on but I expect Daws’ better preparation and fitness to help him win most of the late rounds. I think Daws will reclaim the title on the scorecards in what should be another entertaining fight for the fans.

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British Scene: Tyson Fury vs John McDermott Preview

Matt Chudley previews tomorrow night's Sky show featuring British heavyweights Tyson Fury and John McDermott battling it out for McDermott's English title.

Photo © Justin McKie

The most talked about prospect and arguably one of the brightest in the UK, Tyson Fury (pictured right) makes his first foray into the 10 round scheduled distance and title contention when he takes on John McDermott in Brentwood, Essex this Friday.

In doing so, Fury will be facing very different circumstances to the ones he has become accustomed to so far in his pro career. Having fought as the house fighter in front of favourable crowd support in all his previous contests, Fury will now be stepping into his opponent’ s backyard as the challenger after McDermott's promoter Frank Maloney won the purse bids to this English title contest.

This card will also be the first in over 2 years to be televised live on Sky without the presence of the traditional 12 round British, Commonwealth or European title fights. The previous occasion was David Haye's heavyweight debut against Tomasz Bonin and following the postponement of the originally scheduled headliner between Gary Davis and Ian Napa, the broadcaster has deemed that Fury's appeal is strong enough to carry the card.

Storming out to 7-0 with all the wins coming early, Fury has held little regard for his contemporaries in the pro ranks thus far and has hounded his domestic rivals at every opportunity. An onslaught of sound bytes and press releases would rarely endear a fighter to the public but to date Fury has made good on all the hype in taking on as good a competition as could be expected and proving to be the aggressive and powerful heavyweight craved by the fans to this point.

After looking out of shape against the 3-6 Aleksandrs Selezens last time out following a run of niggling injuries, Fury has left little to chance and once again traveled to Germany to get quality sparring amongst the large contingent of Eastern European heavies based there. With British champ Danny Williams risking his title by stepping into the next prizefighter tournament, Fury could soon find himself fighting for the vacant Lonsdale belt with a good performance on Friday and will once again be eager to make a statement of intent to the rest of the division.

Compiling a fairly modest 25-5 record and always appearing to be carrying a little excess weight, John McDermott has received little fan fare to date but has proved that he belongs at British title level after dropping controversial majority and split decisions to reigning British champ Danny Williams in his last two fights. After extending his record against very poor opposition to a soft 16-0 McDermott was dispensed of by the very average Nikolay Popov and Mark Krence and put to the sword by Matt Skelton in under two minutes. However, he has since produced a credible win over Scott Gammer and can rightly feel aggrieved with the decisions of the judges in those defeats to Williams.

With his greater maturity and experience McDermott is unlikely to lose the fight before he steps into the ring like many who have been intimidated by the 6'7 puncher and will be looking to soak up the pressure early and see if Fury becomes discouraged when things don't go his way. Should McDermott see the 4th and 5th rounds, Fury's stamina may also be tested since he has yet to go beyond 4 rounds let alone 10.

On the under-card…

Former British light middleweight champion Gary Woolcombe will be taking on a yet to be named opponent, as he looks to get back in line for another shot at domestic honours. Having won the Lonsdale belt in December of 2007, Woolcombe lose by stoppage to Ryan Rhodes in his first defense. With Rhodes taking on Jamie Moore for the European crown next month, the path appears open for Woolcombe to work his way back into the mix for a shot against current British champion, Anthony Small.

Also in action is 7-0 flyweight Ashley Sexton who stays busy against 17-7-1 Brazilian Darli Goncalves Pires as he builds towards a British title challenge. Former British bantamweight champ Martin Power also sees action against the 5-0-1 Stuart Hall, while Frank Maloney's own giant heavyweight prospect Tom Dallas looks to make an impression against the 12-15-1 Hungarian Mihaly Nemet.

e-mail Matt Chudley

Video of Tyson Fury warming up before his fight with Scott Belshaw courtesy of Justin McKie:

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