BARRETT BOSSES IT
Exciting Zelfa continues to progress by bagging another win
MANCHESTER super-feather Zelfa Barrett [inset] did his growing reputation no harm at all at Bolton Whites Hotel. He went in over 10 for the first time and emerged a wide 99-90 winner on the card of referee Phil Edwards, having dominated tough Barcelona-based Nicaraguan Eusebio Osejo.
The tenacious Osejo, who was cut late on by the right eye, showed resilience by continuing despite twice being floored heavily – initially by a massive left hook in the dying embers of the fourth, and then by a huge right in the penultimate session. Barrett, though, having excelled, has now firmly established himself among the leading lights in the domestic superfeatherweight division.
Big Alexander Ustinov of Belarus, after a year-and-a-half out, wasted precious little time in disposing of Las Vegas-based Raphael Zumbano Love.
Just 126 seconds of a contest slated for 10 had gone when referee Edwards waved it off. The bearded Brazilian, hurt by a left to the body, was down in the opening 20 seconds, despite claiming a push.
A booming left from Ustinov had the official looking particularly closely, as did a trio of rights to the head and a left to the body, before one final right with Love on the ropes signalled the end.
There was barely time to blink before Bolton’s comebacking Haroon Khan,
having his first bout for three years, was declared a winner over Patrick Bartos
of the Czech Republic. Only 50 seconds of a scheduled four-rounder had expired when the visitor, down in the corner having taken a right to the body, rose half-heartedly, gesturing towards his right elbow He answered in the negative when referee Jamie Kirkpatrick asked if he was OK to continue.
There were early victories too for Darwen’s former Commonwealth super-middleweight champion Luke Blackledge and Oswaldtwistle’s Adam Machaj. Blackledge triumphed with 59 seconds of the fourth of a scheduled six against Latvia’s Olegs Fedotovs
remaining. Much to the import’s disgust, the towel was quite rightly hurled in. Mr Kirkpatrick officiated.
Meanwhile, Machaj handed Chatham’s Tom Dallas his fifth early defeat in his last six outings, a short right doing the damage. Referee Darren Sarginson aborted his count at ‘seven’, as Dallas hauled himself upright with the four-rounder 39 seconds shy of its halfway mark.
Failsworth’s Danny Wright impressed in halting Torquay’s Ali Wyatt 77 seconds into the second of a scheduled four. He floored the veteran with a short right midway through the opener, before sheer weight of pressure forced the stoppage in the next. Mr Sarginson refereed.
The two Bolton Jacks secured victories, with neither Jack Cullen nor Jack Flatley
dropping a round in their respective contests against Trowbridge’s Dan Blackwell or Doncaster’s Jason Ball.
The Cullen-blackwell bout ended 60-53 for the former, courtesy of a polished performance which included Jack dropping Dan late in the second round. Flatley, meanwhile, triumphed 60-55 over Ball, with the pick of his work coming in the third, during which he snapped back Jason’s head with a precise left uppercut. Sarginson refereed both contests.
Another six saw Ancoats’ Dale Coyne
claim a 59-57 win over tough Denaby Main man Adam Jones, who never gives anyone an easy night (Mr Kirkpatrick officiated and Mr Sarginson scored). Elsewhere, in a cracker of a four-rounder, Oldham’s Andy Kremner – back after a year out – finished stronger to edge out Newark’s Fonz Alexander 39-38 for Mr Sarginson.
Southport’s Mike Stafford secured a 40-36 win over Ilkeston’s Russ Henshaw,
with Mr Sarginson scoring from ringside for Mr Kirkpatrick, and the same combo were in operation for the clash between Bolton’s Arthif Daniel and Norwich’s Duane Green, which finished 60-54 for Arthif.
THE VERDICT An impressive performance from Barrett, who promises much for the future.