EKOW IN CONTROL

Essuman tunes up for title tilt by outclassing Paplauskas, writes David Wainwright from ringside RESPECTED retired boxer-nowpromoter Matt Scriven and his Robin Hood Sporting Club returned to professional boxing after a near seven-year hiatus at the Britannia Hotel. The six-round main event saw Nottingham’s undefeated welterweight Ekow Essuman extend his winning record with a comfortable 60-54 points victory over Lithuania’s Edvinas Paplauskas.

Essuman used this fight as a tuneup ahead of his October 20 vacant English welterweight title showdown with Andy Keates, and was in control from start to finish. In particular he used the left jab to good effect whilst Paplauskas had little or no answer to his superior opponent.

The Lithuanian was clearly tired going into the final round but Essuman was quite happy to see it through to the end with one eye on his upcoming fight.

It was blink-and-you-miss-it as Nottingham lightweight Delmar Thomas stopped Bristol’s Harvey Helmsley after only 22 seconds of his debut in the paid ranks (set for six).

Thomas caught his opponent with a big left hand and followed up with a barrage of heavy shots, leaving referee Kevin Parker to wave the contest over in order to save Helmsley from any serious damage.

Helmsley and his team protested at Parker’s decision but he clearly had no answer to Thomas’ precision and power.

The final fight of the night was a six-round shutout for another debutant in Bilborough superwelterweight Paul Thompson over Braintree’s Dylan Draper.

Thompson was fast out of the blocks and clearly a class above his opponent, who despite his winless record had been stopped only once in 17 outings.

Despite sustaining a cut to his right eye during the fourth round Draper clung on till the final bell, giving referee Parker his easiest job of the night with his 60-54 scorecard.

THE VERDICT An enjoyable show in a packed, intimate venue.