SCRAPPY SUCCESS
Aslam is a comprehensive winner in an untidy clash
WHILE the Bowlers Exhibition Centre hosts boxing on a more than frequent basis, the action on this Kieran Farrell promotion took place not in the usual large space at the rear of the venue, but instead went ahead in the more compact area at the opposite end of the building, a seemingly more fan-friendly experience being the result.
Although the majority of what had gone before had been of a palatable flavour, the eight-round main event between Bolton’s Osman Aslam and Ghana’s Michael Barnor didn’t live up to its billing. Aslam claimed an 80-70 victory over the African southpaw at the culmination of a scrappy encounter which saw the visitor – who had been dropped to one knee by a pair of consecutive hooks to the body early in the fourth – docked a point for a push by referee Mark Lyson at the top of the eighth.
A spoiler throughout a bout which saw the pair tumble to the canvas on more than one occasion at the culmination of bouts of wrestling, the increasingly underfire Barnor had been reluctant to engage and had been spoken to for infringing the rules on several occasions. Aslam, consistently on top, despite the sixth stanza being a little closer, will doubtless be hoping to face a cleaner, more co-operative opponent next time out.
Back in the ring for the first time in three-and-a-half years and having just edged the opener, St Helens’ Gary Ormrod grinned widely when Atherton’s William Warburton tagged him with a pair of rights early in the second. The grin had disappeared by the finish though after “Warby” – no respecter of 100 per cent records – ran out a deserved 39-37 winner for referee Darren Sarginson. The journeyman increasingly took control of the four-rounder, and was happy to stand and trade even when Ormrod looked to take it into the trenches.
The scheduled four between one-fight Liverpool novice Brian Phillips and Basildon’s Joe Stevens lasted all of 58 seconds, and that included the count of third man Lyson after Stevens had been dropped to his knees by a right to the body followed by a left to the head.
Another successful Liverpudlian was Nick Ball who, despite his youthful looks, hits hard enough and regularly enough to suggest that before too long he will be up there in the domestic super-featherweight mix.
This was Nick’s third pro bout, but he dominated to such a degree against seasoned Hull operator Luke Fash that his reward came in the shape of a 40-35 victory, referee Lyson scoring him a 10-8 winner of a particularly impressive opening round.
One-bout Manchester man Adam Williams, real name Danny, tasted victory at the second time of asking by pocketing a 40-37 triumph over Latvia’s Ukraine-born Florians Strupits. For three rounds – by which time he was already a beaten man – the visitor threw almost nothing. Finally remembering why he was there, Strupits did make more of a fist of it in the last, but his four scoring shots were only enough to earn him a share of the session from Mr Sarginson.
Altrincham’s George Brennan, a points loser on the road against Shepshed’s Louis Norman just three weeks previously, bounced back with a 40-37 victory on home soil against Sweden’s Edward Bjorklund who, now Uk-based, was having his first outing in almost two years. This one proved increasingly scrappy, and saw George pick up a bloody nose en route to him getting the 40-37 verdict from referee Sarginson.
THE VERDICT A veritable mixed bag at Bowlers, which hosts another show this coming weekend.