BLOOD AND GUTS
Keates turns back spirited efforts of Fields in gruelling scrap
LEEK southpaw Andy Keates took the Midlands Area welterweight title off
Ryan Fields after a blood and guts scrap on Clifton Mitchell’s show at Rollerworld. Both fought their hearts out from first bell to last and Keates nicked it 96-95 for referee Kevin Parker, his reward for a strong start and finish.
The second was decisive. Fields was over twice – then rallied. Keates, now a two-weight Midlands champion, was cut on his left cheek, while Fields was bruised under both eyes.
Chatteris featherweight Jordan Gill dazzled, dropping Spanish-based Rafael
Castillo in the fourth and fifth. Gill, cut over his left eye in the fifth, also had Castillo in desperate trouble in the dying seconds with his rat-a-tat combinations.
Shaun Messer scored 60-52 and he awarded shut-out wins to Derby’s promising Harry Scarff and Leicester’s Abraham Horner in four-threes against Trowbridge southpaw Jacob Lucas and the Czech Republic’s Jan Balog respectively. Lofty Leicester left hander Bart Wypchal walked Stoke’s Chris Nixon onto punches throughout their four threes for a 40-37 verdict from Mr Parker and he awarded Derby southpaw Alex Fearon every session of his fourthrees against Newark-based Lithuanian Zygimantas Butkevicius. The four-threes between Basford’s
Corey Jackson and Denaby Main’s Adam Jones was closer. Mr Messer had Jackson winning 39-38 with a big push in the last round.
Doncaster’s Ryan Stevenson made a confident debut, bloodying southpaw
MJ Hall’s (Brierley Hill) nose in the opening minute and winning 40-36 on Mr Messer’s card. The pro debut of Melton heavyweight Josh Quailey ended in a third-round defeat to Manchester-based
Blaise Mendouo in a scheduled fourthrees. Quailey took two counts – late in the second and early in the third - before Mr Parker waved it off at 0-46. Mendouo was handed his final warning for low blows just before the first knockdown. In a clash of debutants, Nottingham’s
Sebastian Slaursczyk dropped Jamie Manning inside 30 seconds and won their six twos 60-53 for Mr Parker.
THE VERDICT Fields and Keates in fight to remember.