YES HE KHAN!

Zeeshan knocks Cajina out in the third round

BRADFORD, once a regular stop on the boxing circuit, seems to have fallen a little out of favour over the last decade, so it was nice to return to the Yorkshire city for this five-bout offering at The Bradford Hotel.

Local pair Zeeshan Khan and Jermaine Springer are still in the embryonic stages of their respective careers and both kept their noisy supporters happy by posting victories. Springer took all four rounds on the card of Mike Alexander who, increasingly angered at the holding and timewasting tactics employed by Latvia’s Jevgenijs Andrejevs, was forced to hand out several warnings.

Khan, meanwhile, KO’D Barcelonabased Nicaraguan Reynaldo Cajina at 2-45 of the third. A pair of chopping rights sent the visitor sliding down a neutral corner post, referee Alexander counting him out in the act of rising.

The most enjoyable scrap of the night saw Halifax’s Vinny Atkins halt the always-game Nathan Hardy 40 seconds from the end of the third session (set for four). The Sheffield man had taken the opener after some impressive late work and might just have nicked a close second, but he came unstuck after walking onto one in the next and pitched forward to the canvas. Referee Howard Foster waved it off after a quick look, despite Hardy hauling himself upright.

Bradford’s Dan Garber, whose father Steve operated as a heavyweight during the ‘80s and ‘90s, had his second paid outing after debuting late last year. He dominated proceedings against experienced Latvian Florians Strupits en route to a 40-36 victory for Mr Alexander.

Local first-timer Amin Jahanzeb bloodied the nose of Dmytro Kostenko early on and his fast hands sent the Ukrainian’s gumshield flying towards the end of the third. It ended 40-36 to Jahanzeb on Mr Foster’s card.

THE VERDICT On the 33rd anniversary of the Bradford fire, boxing returns to the city.