TALENT APLENTY
Joshua Buatsi begins his pro career, as Frank Buglioni makes his first title defence
Buatsi shines on his pro debut in London, while Buglioni retains his title
RIO 2016 star and excellent lightheavyweight prospect Joshua Buatsi made his professional debut as Frank Buglioni defended the British light-heavyweight title from the sterling challenge of Ricky Summers.
Enfield’s Buglioni started slowly, working effectively on the inside. A hard countering right wobbled Summers in the third round. But the Tipton man would not fold. He came back at him with aggression, flinging right hands round Buglioni’s guard. Frank absorbed plenty of those shots, as Summers forced him to the ropes at times.
But Buglioni closed out the championship rounds with gusto, shuffling his feet momentarily and whipping a left hook into the body. Summers held his arms wide, goading Frank forward. Regardless of the challenger’s defiance, Buglioni won a unanimous decision, 116-113 for Ian John Lewis, 115-114 for John Keane and 118-111 for Robert Williams. Marcus Mcdonnell refereed.
Buatsi was all business against Spainbased Cuban Carlos Mena, declining to touch gloves to get straight to work. The Olympic bronze medallist subjected Mena to merciless pressure. Carlos lobbed overarm rights at Buatsi when he attacked, catching him out momentarily but never obliging Joshua to take a backward step.
The Croydon man whipped a left hook to the body to crumple Mena over on the canvas in the first. Somehow Carlos bounced up to his feet but he did not escape the second round. Twice attacks snatched his balance away, quality right hooks sending the Cuban to the deck. As Buatsi fired left hook after left hook to the head, referee John Lewis stepped in to end it at 1-19 of the second.
Ted Cheeseman beasted Matthew Ryan to win the English superwelterweight title. The taller Ryan looked to move back and use his reach advantage, dabbing the Bermondsey man with jabs. But Cheeseman swarmed into him, screwing vicious hooks into Ryan’s body and drumming heavy rights to the head. He swept through Ryan inside three rounds. A blurring flurry of hooks put the Middleton man down. Cheeseman advanced on him, a thudding right to the head struck him to the canvas, out at 1-22. Mr Williams refereed.
Ilford’s Conor Benn, son of Nigel, returned from a six-month injuryenforced lay-off and looked sharp as he dispatched Mike Cole inside three rounds. Benn showcased some deft defensive moves, manoeuvring round the Southam man. A right straight down the middle dropped Cole in the second round. In the third round Benn caught his prey as he slid along the ropes, snapping in a left hook to the head to take out Cole 44 seconds into the third. Mr John Lewis refereed.
Watford’s Reece Bellotti set about Jamie Speight, never letting the Devon
featherweight into the fight. Bellotti cranked up the pressure round after round. He right hooked over and Reece pummelled Speight’s body. Jamie sagged into the ropes in the eighth round and Bellotti ripped shots in. Crunching hooks slammed through and referee John Lewis had no choice but to halt Speight 0-58 seconds into the round.
Hackney’s Lawrence Okolie didn’t rush, but simply detonated brutal power shots into the midriff of Russell
Henshaw to get the fourth consecutive first round stoppage of his professional career. His right hook sank into the Ilkeston’s man trunk. Russell had to take a knee. Another heavy right sent him down a second time. Okolie wobbled him with a blow to the head and referee Chas Coakley pulled Henshaw out at 2-10. Uxbridge’s Ryan Crawford attacked
Isaac Chamberlain with gusto to begin their six rounder. But the Brixton man began to bring in harder shots, hammering him down and halting Crawford at 2-25 of the second round.
Lightwater’s Jake Ball put in a good night’s work forcing a stoppage against Aberystwyth’s Jamie Ambler. He popped straight punches through and attacked him on the ropes. He hacked him down to the canvas and then connected with a left hook. Mr Coakley waved it off at 2-56 of the fourth.
Crystal Palace’s Craig Richards was outboxing Portugal’s Rui Manuel
Pavanito at range but in the last two rounds of six, as Craig’s arms tired Pavanito harried him, thumping shots through easily at the end of the fight. Richards needed to tie him up, instead he took his licks, still far enough ahead to win 58-56 for referee John Lewis. In Yailton Neves, Brentwood’s
Danny Dignum had a tricky opponent. While Dignum was eager to impress, the Mancunian stood back patiently to bring him on to countering hooks. Danny managed to put together fast flurries, catching Neves with quality one-twos, but Yailton gave him plenty to think about as Dignum took a 40-36 points win for referee John Lewis after four. Aberdare’s Morgan Jones dropped
Jade Karam with a chopping right in the second round, and in the third shook up the South African with repeated shots to the head, prompting referee Jeff Hinds to step in 22 seconds into the round.
THE VERDICT Buglioni is in an exciting fight, as always, while Buatsi has tremendous promise.