EASY DOES IT
Jozic has no business taking on an Olympic silver medallist
Olympic medallist Joyce sweeps aside his overmatched foe in Bethnal Green
IT turned out even worse than predicted, as 2016 Olympian Joe Joyce knocked out Germany-based Croatian Rudolf Jozic in the first round at York Hall.
Jozic had won four of five going in, but against limited opposition. He looked competent at his level, and was willing to punch with Joyce – yet when Joe opened up Jozic had no chance.
The visitor was trapped in a neutral corner and Joyce let fly with both hands – a right to the head finally putting Jozic down on all fours. The bell rang as referee Lee Cook counted him out and the medics examined Jozic on his stool for several minutes before allowing him to go to the centre of the ring for the official announcement. The time was 3-06, and it was scheduled for eight.
Joyce (Putney) won his second in a row, but this really was a step back after his impressive debut win over Ian Lewison. He is now due to appear on the undercard of the David Haye-tony Bellew return at the O2 Arena on May 5. Haye’s promotional team, Hayemaker Ringstar, promoted the show in association with Goodwin Boxing.
Having lost his Southern Area welterweight belt to Louis Greene in September, Freddy Kiwitt came back with a win over reigning lightweight champ Jumanne Camero (Mitcham) in a non-title bout. Referee Cook made Kiwitt (a Liberian based in Islington) a 78-76 winner after eight often untidy rounds where styles frequently clashed. I thought Camero was unlucky – he tried to force the fight, his work looked cleaner, and he had more success with single shots, especially rights to the head. But several rounds were scrappy and hard to score.
Willy Hutchinson (Carstairs) made it three straight with a clear six-round win over Eric Mokonzo (Bethnal Green via the Democratic Republic of Congo). Referee Chas Coakley’s 60-52 scoreline reflected a point deduction for holding and a fifth-round knockdown.
Hutchinson had won his first two inside two rounds, but Mokonzo showed he could take care of himself, effectively blocking Hutchinson’s early attacks. As the bout went on, Mokonzo resorted more and more to holding, and finally Mr Coakley took a point off in the fourth.
A right to the head dropped Mokonzo in the fifth, though he was up at once and landed a decent right counter as Hutchinson came in. Overall, the clash was rather untidy, with a lot of tangling – but going six rounds will have done Hutchinson good.
The remaining bouts were scheduled for four.
Sam Gilley (Walthamstow) floored
Daniel Bazo (Czech Republic) twice, causing Bazo’s corner to pull their man out at the end of the second.
There was a lot of missing in the first, but in the second a left to the body had Bazo holding on. Bazo was wrestled over, then a left hook to the head dropped him for ‘four’. On completion of the eight-count, Bazo tried to move out of danger but was floored by another left hook. Again he was up at ‘four’, and lasted to the bell, but his corner had seen enough.
Tackling a former two-weight Southern Area champion in one’s second contest might seem ambitious, but Islington’s
Mo Gharib rose to the occasion, clearly outscoring Jamie Speight (Kingsteignton). Triallist referee Mark Bates officiated, with Mr Cook scoring 40-36.
Gharib showed good variety from the start, and indulged in some showboating. Speight covered up well, and hit back when caught on the ropes in the third, but his face was marked up by the end.
After winning five inside the distance,
Dean Richardson (South Ruislip) had to go the full four to beat fellow southpaw
Jab Balog of the Czech Republic. Mr Bates officiated, Mr Cook tallied 40-36.
Richardson pressed forwards, picking his shots well and penetrating Balog’s tight guard. But Balog was game, and hit back when he could. Balog was wrestled over in the third.
Referee Cook scored Anesu Twala (Lewisham via Zimbabwe) a 40-37 winner over Cardiff’s Rhys Saunders; and in bouts handled by Mr Bates, Mr Cook awarded 40-36 victories to Hayes’ Jack Newham over Jan Korec (Czech Republic), and Linus Udofia (Luton via Nigeria) over Atherton’s
William Warburton.
THE VERDICT Joyce wins, but opponents like this prove nothing.