ALL OVER IN ONE ROUND TWO GREAT EIGHTS

Chris Glover sees popular Stuart deal with Leach in the very first session Andy Whittle is ringside to witness a couple of eight-round humdingers

ABERDEEN NOVEMBER 25 ★★★ WHOLE SHOW ★★★★ ATMOSPHERE

ON a Northern Sporting Club show at the Double Tree by Hilton Treetops Hotel, Macduff’s former amateur standout Billy

Stuart showed that he is one to watch, as he took out Westbrook’s battle-hardened

Ricky Leach in the first round of their scheduled six.

Stuart came out of the blocks with purpose in the opener, looking to establish himself early in the contest against the well-tested Leach.

Ricky attempted to keep Stuart off with the jab, but the Aberdeenshire man managed to walk Leach down.

Towards the end of the first, a combination to the head and body – which included a perfectly placed left hook to the midsection – sent Leach to the canvas.

Referee-for-the-evening Kenny Pringle brought the contest to an end after just 2-35.

Thurso-based South African Chris Ryder went to war with debutant Myles Vale, as the pair looked to knock each other out over six. Despite a wide scorecard at the end, the rounds were a lot closer than this tally suggests.

Ryder and Vale both set a good pace from the outset, loading up with big shots. The action was close throughout, with each fighter landing frequently.

Mr Pringle scored the contest 60-55 in favour of Ryder, who will have learned a lot from this hard-fought win.

Wick’s Liall Mackenzie defeated Atherton’s ever-tricky William Warburton over six frames.

Mackenzie kept his distance well, and picked his punches effectively. Mr Pringle tallied 60-54 for Mackenzie.

THE VERDICT Stuart seemingly has a big future, with the vocal support of Aberdeen firmly behind him.

NOTTINGHAM NOVEMBER 25 ★★★★ WHOLE SHOW ★★★ ATMOSPHERE

NONE of the participants in the evening’s two eight-round bouts boasted particularly fantastic stats, but the quartet promptly served up two crackers. Derby flyweight Conar Blackshaw eclipsed Gateshead’s always-game Gary Reeve who, despite losing 79-74 on the card of referee-for-the-night Kevin Parker, fully played his part.

Meanwhile, in a super-featherweight clash that was bloody from the outset, Banbury’s

Leo D’erlanger, who had beavered away particularly well behind the jab, was ruled out 67 seconds from the end of the penultimate session, having sustained a nasty cut below the left eye. D’erlanger was beaten by the more industrious but not always as accurate

Joe Ducker, of Leicester.

Gedling’s Leigh Wood, who returned in June after a long, injury-enforced absence, dominated his six against Barcelona-based

Reynaldo Mora, winning 60-51. The Nicaraguan was floored twice in the third round by flurries to the head, and had a point docked in the fourth for persistent holding.

Leicester first-timer Connor Ireson embarked on a path trod by so many before him when he went in over four with Nuneaton’s Kristian Laight. The newcomer secured a 40-36 victory.

I thought Newark’s Jake Sharp might have done enough to edge out Aberystwyth’s

Kamil Al Temimi, but the man who matters, referee Parker, couldn’t split the pair at 38-38.

Derby’s Sajid Abid returned after the best part of two years on the sidelines. He claimed a one-sided 40-36 triumph over Newton Abbot’s still-winless Jack Green.

THE VERDICT A cracking pair of eight-rounders light up this Carl Greaves-promoted show.