TOO MUCH OF EVERYTHING
European champ Yigit turns back brave challenge from Hughes
DESPITE his best attempts, Malmesbury challenger Joe Hughes found Sweden’s European super-lightweight champ Anthony Yigit had a little too much in his armoury when the pair clashed at Leicester Arena on this Cyclone Promotions show.
Yigit, who had widely outpointed Lenny Daws to claim the vacant title 10 months ago, took a little time to settle into his stride. Having taken a fair few to the body, he also picked up some early damage below the left eye, but once into his stride he seldom looked back, and by the halfway stage - with Joe’s attacks having lessened in both frequency and ferocity - was firmly in control.
Scores at the finish read 118-112 (Adrio Zannoni) 118-110 (Bela Florian) and 119-109 (Manuel Oliver Palomo) reflected how one-sided it had become. Italian Massimiliano Bianco was the referee.
Having secured the IBO Intercontinental bauble last time out Northampton’s Chantelle Cameron went one better when she forced the retirement of Swiss based Brazilian
Viviane Obenauf at the conclusion of the sixth to win the IBO lightweight title.
Truth told, the contest never looked likely to run its course and referee Michael Alexander had looked closely on a couple of occasions as the disheartened Brazilian, never previously halted and who had found the target with a few early rights, came under increasing fire.
The meeting of Halesowen’s Lennox Clarke and local favourite Jahmaine Smyle at super-middleweight provided spectators with an early Christmas cracker. Lennox, working well on the inside and to the body, got the nod from judges Howard Foster, Marcus Mcdonnell and Grzegorz Molenda, all of whom scored 97-92. But Smyle, nursing a cut lip and counted after touching down on being tagged by a left-right in the ninth, regularly walked Lennox down and deserves plenty of credit too. Birmingham’s Terry O’connor refereed a bout which I felt was closer than the scores suggested.
Another who gave his all but ultimately came up short was Southport cruiser
Mike Stafford who, tiring after a promising start and cut below the right eye from an uppercut late in the sixth, was rescued by his own corner at the conclusion of the eighth against Swindon’s bearded Luke Watkins. It was both Stafford’s first inside the distance loss in over 100 outings, amateur and pro, and Watkins’ first defence of the Commonwealth title he won as recently as October. Referee was Howard Foster while the redundant judges were Mr Alexander, Mr Mcdonnell and Mr O’connor.
The evening’s show opener, a welterweight 10-rounder between Ludlow’s Craig Morris and Swindonian
Ryan Martin proved thoroughly watchable with a good deal of see-saw action. Morris, looking stronger and forcing Martin to work off the back foot for long periods, eventually prevailed with two scores of 97-93 (from judges Mr Foster and Oliver Brien, the second of which was incorrectly announced as being 97-92) while Mr Alexander had it a little closer at 97-94. Mr Mcdonnell was the third man.
Touted Edinburgh puncher Lee Mcgregor impressed once again, needing less than half of his scheduled four to dispose of Poland’s Kamil Jaworek. Referee Shaun Messer saved the visitor, who had been down from a body shot late in the opener and had revisited the canvas midway through the second, from any further punishment with 68 seconds of the round remaining.
There was a second round victory too for Wolverhampton’s Kyle Williams.
It came at 2-06 of the session when Hungarian Szilveszter Kanales failed to rise after being floored, for the second time in quick succession, by a pair of rights to the head. Referee was Kevin Parker.
Bournemouth cruiser Chris Billamsmith proved far too much for Hungary’s
Laszlo Ivanyi, hurting him to the body and duly dropping him for the duration of referee Parker’s count with 43 seconds of the first round remaining.
But the quickest winner of the evening was Lichfield’s Brad Foster who lived up to his nickname of “The Blade” by cutting down Patrik Bartos of the Czech Republic in just 101 seconds of what had been, somewhat fancifully, scheduled for six rounds.
Bartos, downed in a neutral corner, rose rubbing his eyebrow and showed no interest in carrying on as referee Messer completed his count.
Melton Mowbray heavy Josh Quailey
had his arm raised by the same Dudley official after eclipsing another Hungarian in the shape of fleshy yet game Ferenc Zsalek. The score, as is so often the case in four-rounders these days, was a shutout 40-36.
THE VERDICT Yigit hints at dropping down to lightweight but doesn’t completely rule out a future meeting with old amateur adversary Josh Taylor.