LIONHEARTS BREXIT
John Dennen sees the Astana Arlans Kazakhstan win the World Series semi-final
THE British Lionhearts campaign in the current season of the World Series of Boxing came to an end in the semi-finals with the Astana Arlans Kazakhstan beating them 3-2 in the June 8 team match at York Hall in Bethnal Green. It meant after home and away legs the skilled Kazakh side won 7-3 on aggregate.
They made sure of their place in the final quickly at the event in London. But English flyweight Niall Farrell acquitted himself well in his first five-rounder. He took on a seasoned Olzhas Sattibayev. The experienced Kazakh angled in strong shots but Farrell moved round him and was always competitive, snagging Sattibayev with quality straight rights. Farrell won 48-47 on one card but
the other two judges saw it for Sattibayev, 48-47 and 50-45.
Liverpudlian light-heavyweight Thomas Whittaker Hart like Farrell was in his first WSB bout and did well to come away with a victory over Armen Rysbek. The Kazakh was strong, holding his ground to pressure Hart. Rysbek didn’t throw too often but when he did his punches were accurate and hit hard. Hart didn’t shift him but kept busy, rallying in the latter rounds of the bout and winning a split decision, in fact 50-45 for two judges, losing 49-46 for the third.
Reinforcements were called up from Commonwealth countries. New Zealand super-heavyweight Patrick Mailata managed to hammer Nursultan Amanzholov with hooks, knocking him into the ropes and then forcing a retirement in the third round.
New Zealand lightweight Chad Milnes was not fortunate, coming up against Zakir Safiullin who was devastating. The Kazakh, standing in close, dropped him early on with a short, savage right over the top. Milnes slung hooks at his tormentor. But Safiullin exploited every hole in his defence, battering his body, knocking him down again in the second until Milnes’ corner withdrew him.
Indian welter Manoj Kumar gamely took the fight to Aslanbek Shymbergenov but too often was caught on the end of the Kazakh’s long levers, losing a unanimous decision, 48-47 and 49-46 twice.