OFF TO A GOOD START

Matt Bozeat is ringside to see Johnson’s new signing claim victory

BLACK COUNTRY BOXING chief Errol Johnson unveiled his much-talked-about new prospect at the Town Hall. Damien Kiwior represented Poland at last year’s European and World championships, had a 2-8 record in the World Series of Boxing and, much to Johnson’s delight, the 24-year-old has decided to base himself in Wolverhampton and fight for him.

Kiwior got off to a triumphant start, winning every session (40-36) against stubborn

Anatoli Lyubenov on referee-for-the-night Kevin Parker’s scorecard. Kiwior had a solid and composed look, but never really came close to stopping the outclassed and smaller Bulgarian.

Kiwior struggled to find his chin cleanly and whenever he sensed Lyubenov was feeling clobbering rights to the head and left hooks to the body and tried to go through the gears, the game Lyubenov started firing back defiantly. There were first stoppage wins for Tividale’s

Stewart Davies and Ledbury’s Alex Florence. Davies forced Mr Parker to rescue Leamington Spa’s game Myles Vale 30 seconds into the fourth and last round.

Davies was quicker to the punch, and late in the second he stiffened Vale’s legs with a right hand to the jaw. Vale grabbed his way through the crisis, but after another right had him wobbling in the last, Mr Parker jumped in.

Florence took only 2-34 to beat Czech southpaw Jan Korec, dropping him twice. The breakthrough punch was a left hook that hit Korec flush on the chin and took away his legs. Florence pounced to club him to his knees, dropped him again and Mr Parker stepped in after another right had Korec lurching.

In a scrappy four-rounder, Kingswinford’s busier Danny Ball edged out Bolton’s Chris Jenkinson 39-38.

THE VERDICT Signing Kiwior is a coup for

Johnson.