ANOTHER QUICKIE
Haroon makes short work of Hungarian
BOLTON bantam Haroon Khan, for the second time in succession, was in no mood for hanging around when on this Steve Wood promotion at Robin Park Centre he needed just a fraction over a round to dispose of Budapest’s freshfaced Gyula Dodu,
Khan dropped him in centre ring for the duration of referee Darren Sarginson’s count with a pair of body shots, another hook as he fell helping him on his way.
The knockout, just 30 seconds into the second of a scheduled six, came hot on the heels of a one-sided opener during which the out-of-his-depth Hungarian landed barely a punch in anger. A cuffing right as the bell approached coming too late in the session for it to make a difference.
There was an early finish too in the evening’s nominal bill-topper, a slated four-rounder between popular local super-welter James Moorcroft and Hyde’s luckless Dale Arrowsmith.
Moorcroft, particularly strong in the dying embers of the second, triumphed by virtue of a third-round stoppage win when, with only 60 seconds on the clock, referee Sarginson jumped in to spare Dale any further punishment.
A point deduction for holding in the fifth and penultimate round cost Liverpool’s Ricky Starkey victory over unbeaten Blackburn man Omar Dusary, who at times struggled to keep the marauding, all-action Scouser at bay.
Starkey can’t have too many complaints though as he had been warned for several other infractions. At the end of the second when he recieved a serious lecture from third man Mr Sarginson for use of the head, the Manchester official telling him in no uncertain terms that any repeat would mean disqualification and an early night for all.
Indiscretions aside, this one proved a more-than-watchable encounter fully deserving of the lengthy applause it elicited on its completion.
Barrow super-feather Ross Cooksey conceded a few pounds to natural lightweight Jamie Quinn but ran out victorious over four in what would have been a more than decent learning fight for him.
Referee Sarginson had only a point separating the pair at the finish, scoring 39-38 in favour of the man from Cumbria and whilst I had ‘The Boss’ a slightly handier winner, courtesy of his proving the busier man down the final straight, he was afforded no easy ride by 52-bout veteran Quinn.
There was a little local rivalry in the six-rounder between Blackburn’s unbeaten Shakeeb Ali and the vastly experienced Ibrar Riyaz who, despite boxing out of Reading, was born in the Lancashire town.
Ali, with a noisy bunch of followers, one of them a little too noisy, urging him on, took the 60-54 verdict of Bury official John Latham. While he was dominant for the most part, especially so in the fourth and fifth, during which he shook “Ibs” with a right uppercut, the Reading man toughed it out. Replying with the odd counter when the opportunity arose, he was still in there banging at the final bell.
Four first-timers triumphed in the evening’s remaining contests, all of them via the long route and all of them benefiting from 40-36 scorelines; the first three of which were handed down by Mr Latham.
In the show-opener Leigh super-welter
Adam Ridge became the latest in a very, very long line to come out on top against Nuneaton’s Kristian Laight, who with the big 300 in his sights, was punching for pay for the 275th time.
A nice left through the middle in round three from Ridge proved the best of his shots and brought his supporters to their feet.
Like Ridge, Wigan’s Andrew Fleming and Leigh’s Kyle Lomotey are both trained by Damien Jones and were both previously amateurs with the Astley VIP club. They’re both southpaws too and came out on top against veteran opposition in the shape of Dewsbury’s Youssef Al Hamidi and Aberystwyth’s Jamie Ambler respectively.
A fourth debutant, Wigan light-heavy
Casey Connelly, floored Middleton’s
Curtis Gargano in the first session en route to another 40-36 win, Gargano being credited with a share of the third session by Mr Sarginson.
THE VERDICT The younger Khan needs to step up his level of opposition sooner rather than later.