SILENCE OF THE LOCALS
Two home fighters slip up
YORK hosted pro boxing for just the third time this century when, at the Energise Sports Centre on the western fringes of the city, Carl Greaves promoted a fivebout show on which two fancied Yorkshiremen slipped up at home.
The evening’s main event, boxed over eight and overseen by referee John Latham, was an eightrounder that pitched “Pocklington Rocket” Harry Matthews in against Greg O’neill, of Horden in County Durham, who had taken less than a round to see off Britishlicensed Lithuanian debutant Zygimantas Butkevicius in Houghton-le-spring just a couple of weeks previously.
O’neill had to go the distance this time, though not altogether unsurprisingly as Matthews had only once been halted early. But Greg got the nod at the end of an always-close affair, Mr Latham scoring 77-75 in his favour.
There was something of a shock in the scheduled six between previously unbeaten Scarborough operator George Rhodes, and two-fight Sheffield novice Dan West, the man from the Steel City securing a stoppage win in the very last stanza.
The evening’s three other bouts, all boxed over fourthrees, produced a trio of shutout winners, as local pair Paul Gordon and Danny Holmes,
along with Brough’s Matthew Wigglesworth, all maintained their 100 per cent records.
Gordon handed Chessington’s Richard Harrison – who experienced a rare win last time out – his 15th career defeat, while “Tasmanian Devil” Holmes performed a similar service in beating Hyde six-footer Dale Arrowsmith.
“Warpath” Wigglesworth, meanwhile, proved too much for Lithuanian Deividas Sajauka – who was being shut out in a UK ring for the third time in just five short weeks.
THE VERDICT Boxing starved York fight fans witness a mixed bag of results.