3-1 TO SHEFFIELD

Westgarth denies the locals a clean sweep in the Steel City

WITH Sam Sheedy’s crack at the vacant Commonwealth middleweight title and Abolaji Rasheed pushed back until the end of next month, there was a switch across the city from the Ponds Forge Arena to the Premier Suite at Sheffield United FC’S Bramall Lane for a quartet of four-rounders.

Coming out on top against visitors from Georgia and Latvia respectively were local pair Ramzy Nassa and Razaq Najib. Nassa picked up a 40-37 victory over Khvicha Gigolashvili, while Najib was run closer by Dmitrijs Gutmans. In what was Gutmans’ fourth appearance in a British ring in the last six weeks, he lost out by just a single point. Mike Alexander, who refereed both bouts, scored it 39-38 in favour of Najib, who returned to winning ways after suffering his first career loss in his last outing almost a year ago.

The two remaining contests – refereed by trialist official Lee Innes MBE, and scored from ringside by Mr Alexander – saw the locals experience differing fortunes. Tommy Frank ensured his fans left in high spirits by taking every round against Patrik Bartos in what was the Czech’s second points loss in a fortnight against British opposition. Meanwhile, Christian Kinsiona

suffered the first reverse of his career when he found himself on the wrong end of a 39-38 scoreline against Newcastle’s slightly more experienced Scott Westgarth,

whose victory was his second on the bounce.

The previously mentioned Sheedy-rasheed bout goes ahead at this same venue on April 28, before the action switches outdoors and onto the pitch just a month later when Kell Brook defends his IBF welterweight title against Errol Spence Jnr on May 27.

THE VERDICT Much bigger fare is headed for Bramall Lane in the very near future.