BEST OF BRITISH
Kirk recovers from knockdown to halt Smith
Action reports from all nine of the weekend’s boxing shows in the UK
THE British Warriors show at the Camden Centre, postponed from a week before because of bad weather, proved worth the wait with Kirk Garvey recovering from a terrible start to stop Sam Smith in the seventh of a light-heavyweight cracker.
This 10-rounder was initially set for the Southern Area title but in the end went ahead as a final eliminator. Smith, with only four bouts to his name, made a great start when two right hooks dropped Garvey in the opener but the Clapham man jabbed and moved to see out the storm and by round two was on top.
Digging in body shots and landing right crosses, Garvey steadily punched the resistance out of his Swindon opponent, who was hurt in the fourth then in big trouble at the end of the sixth.
In round seven a barrage of hooks put Smith down and through the ropes onto a ringside table, and although he beat the count referee Jeff Hinds waved it off after 2-06.
The show’s other 10-rounder was much more one-sided with Louis Greene (Strood) retaining his Southern Area welterweight belt by stopping Joe Hayes in the second. Stocky Hayes, from Bournemouth, just couldn’t keep Greene off and was bleeding from the nose halfway through the first. Greene maintained the pressure and in round two dropped Hayes with two hooks plus a left to the body, then again with a right-left.
When a burst of hooks drove the challenger back into a corner, referee Hinds had seen enough at the 2-37 mark.
Big-hitting South London middleweight Denzel Bentley thrilled his army of supporters by demolishing Ashley Bailey Dumetz after just 1-29 of a scheduled sixrounder. Bailey Dumetz was down twice from rights and when another blow from that hand sent the Brixton man reeling back and down, referee Lee Every called it off without picking up the count.
Manchester’s Yailton Neves, winner only twice in 12 previous contests, sprang a shock when he snapped the unbeaten five-fight record of Jimmy Smith (Slough) in a super-middle six.
Mr Every scored 58-57, a fair reflection of how southpaw Neves worked harder and produced the sharper punching against an opponent who just never got untracked.
There was better fortune for a Slough boxer in super-lightweight Billy Allington, who outpointed Cardiff’s Rhys Saunders 60-55 for Mr Every over six tepid sessions. Allington forced the pace as Saunders used his experience to survive.
Another scrappy six handled by Mr Every saw Camberley lightweight Jonny Phillips get home 59-56 against Josh Thorne of Bexleyheath. Thorne’s best round was the third, when he pushed Phillips back, but otherwise Jonny picked up points with his right cross.
A women’s super-lightweight six-twos produced a winning debut for former amateur champion Cherrelle Brown, who hammered Monika Antonik from Poland into second-round defeat.
Taller Brown, from Islington, picked off Antonik with jabs and rights before turning on the power in the second. Antonik was down twice, from a left hook and then from a combination, before the towel came in as Mr Hinds called a halt at 1-22.
A quartet of four-rounders completed the bill, with former GB squad amateur star Alfie Price making a winning debut. The talented southpaw super-lightweight from Hoddesdon held his hands low as he used his speed and accuracy to tee off on Melksham’s Liam Richards for a 40-36 verdict from Mr Every.
Another debut winner was Frimley light-heavyweight Sam Horsfall, who used his height and reach advantages to take a 40-37 verdict (Mr Hinds) over Middleton southpaw Darryl Sharp. The shared round was probably the third, when Sharp got close and smothered Horsfall’s work.
Bedfont heavyweight Taran Willett
looked set for an early night when, in the opening session, he drove Rhys Kaney
to the ropes and had him under pressure with heavy blows. But the Halifax man soaked it all up and from round two started to punch back, although Willett was always outlanding him, to body as well as head.
Opening the show, Thamesmead middleweight Derrick Osaze kept his cool impressively to outpoint Southwark spoiler Victor Edagha by 40-36 on Mr Every’s scorecard. Osaze then travelled back to Nottingham, where the next day he was ordained a minister in his church!
THE VERDICT Garvey survives a mighty scare to triumph.