GETTING PREPPED
Roy Kelly sees Ward tune his weaponry ahead of Dickens sequel
ULTRA-ACCURATE Tommy Ward tuned up for May’s British title defence against old victim Jazza Dickens in razor-sharp fashion at Rainton Meadows Arena.
The domestic super-bantamweight ruler halted Nicaragua’s Lesther
Cantillano at 2-05 of round five after referee Graeme Williams intervened following a sustained attack.
County Durham’s undefeated 23-yearold was brilliant from the start of this six-rounder, his left hook to the body particularly effective, though both hands continuously found the mark. In fact, Cantillano was put down following a third-round combination, though Mr Williams did not award a count.
However, when Ward opened fire in the fifth and with nothing coming back, the ref stepped in.
Gateshead’s Gary Reeve also took a fair bit of leather but stuck at his fight with Joe Maphosa all the way to the end. Thornaby prospect Maphosa produced some accomplished work in a 40-36 win from Steve Hawkins.
Everything else on this Phil Jeffries-promoted event was also scheduled for four, with the only other stoppage coming when Redcar’s Tom Hill lived up to his “One Bomb” moniker by flooring Dan West with a thunderous left hook 23 seconds into round two. Mr Williams didn’t even begin a count, with the Sheffield fighter recovering after treatment.
Tom’s elder brother, Joe Hill, was superb on his debut, in which he outpointed Belfast’s James Gorman 40-36. Gorman’s fellow Northern Irishman,
Casey Blair of Bangor, was beaten by the same margin as another newcomer, Newcastle southpaw James Conlan, gave a highly measured display. Mr Hawkins handled both bouts. Another debutant, South Shields’ Chris
Grout, looked confident throughout in a shutout against Lithuania’s Dmitrij
Kalinovskij. Mr Williams was in charge. Newcastle’s Mark Taylor opened the show with a comfortable 40-37 victory over winless-but-battling Brierley Hill portsider MJ Hall, from Mr Hawkins. Meanwhile, another boxer seeking his first victory, Belfast’s Alec Bazza, lost 40-36 to Gateshead’s Kris Pilkington, with Mr Williams refereeing.
THE VERDICT Ward looks good ahead of an intriguing rematch with Dickens in May.