’THE PEXICAN’
Gallant Corcoran is halted in a British title thriller
Johnny Garton defeats Gary Corcoran to win the British welterweight title
SADLY, FIGHTING BROKE OUT IN THE CROWD DURING THE THIRD ROUND
JOHNNY
GARTON won the vacant British welterweight title with a breathtaking stoppage of gallant
Gary Corcoran at Brentwood Leisure Centre (Queensberry Promotions). With Corcoran (Wembley) looking ahead, but under fire on the ropes, referee Steve Gray waved it off after 42 seconds of the 11th – much to Corcoran’s disgust. Could he have gone on? Possibly. But with his tank suddenly seeming to show ‘Empty’, could he have lasted the best part of another two rounds? I’m not sure.
It was heartbreaking for Corcoran. There don’t seem to be any stamina problems for the former WBO title challenger, and there’s nothing wrong with his fighting heart. But Garton found that little bit extra when he needed it.
Sadly, fighting broke out in the crowd during the third round of this British Fight of the Year candidate – apparently between Millwall and West Ham football supporters (Garton supports Millwall). The culprits were urged over the ring mic to “sit down and behave yourselves!” and there were warnings that the incident was being filmed, and the film would be given to the police. There was even the threat that the fight might be called off, which would have been grossly unfair to the vast majority of decent fans, and the fighters who were giving their all. Eventually peace was restored, and all the while the fighters kept hammering away at each other in an unforgettable battle.
Corcoran’s pressuring seemed more effective in the early stages, though Garton (Peckham) hit back under fire. A cut appeared on Garton’s right cheek in the third. Behind after five, Garton started getting his punches off better in the sixth, but in this session he picked up a scalp wound – possibly from a head clash – and the blood started running vertically down his face. With so much close-quarter work, Corcoran’s white trunks were soon stained red. Corcoran was still landing more, though Garton hit back when he could.
There were good exchanges in the ninth, though Garton held after shipping a right, and the action continued in the 10th – suddenly there were signs that Corcoran might have shot his bolt. A protracted exchange ended with Corcoran backing off for the first time, and Garton landed a left hook with Corcoran on the ropes. Corcoran came back but Garton scored with two more left hooks. Corcoran was warned for headwork and pushing Garton’s head down.
Garton roared out for the 11th. A left hook knocked Corcoran back into the ropes, and Garton followed up with both hands. With nothing coming back, referee Gray signalled the end.
Ilford’s Anthony Yarde halted Argentine Walter Sequeira in the fourth of a scheduled 10. Sequeira was willing to come forward and fight, but his punches had no effect on Yarde, and eventually Yarde’s extra power told.
Sequeira made a big effort in the fourth, but a right to the head had him down by the ropes. Up at ‘four’, a combination to the head had him down again for ‘six’, and then a right and follow-up left, plus a push, dropped him again for ‘four’. Referee Phil Edwards waved it off after 2-14.
Penge’s Bradley Skeete began his comeback after a disastrous European welterweight title tilt in April by stopping Mexican Fernando Valencia in the third of a slated six. The game visitor was floored at the end of the second by a rightleft to the head. The bell saved Valencia from further trouble, but Skeete steamed out for the third, landing with both hands. Referee Kieran Mccann signalled the finish and Valencia went down by the ropes. It was all over after 25 seconds.
Manchester’s brave Ben Capps was halted in seven rounds by Brentwood’s
Joe Mullender. It was scheduled for 10. The first two rounds were competitive, but Capps was rocked by a left hook in the third, and then a right put him down. A graze appeared under Mullender’s right eye in the fourth, but he definitely seemed to be landing more. Capps fought back stubbornly in the fifth but was dropped by a left hook. In the seventh a right to the head sent him down to one knee. He tried to join battle, but a right to the body put him down on all fours. Referee Mccann waved it off after 1-46 In a rare clash of unbeatens, Fulham’s Zak Chelli bested Ilford-based Nigerian
Umar Sadiq, referee Chas Coakley scoring 77-74. Sadiq was floored by a right in the sixth, though he jumped up at once. Chelli pressed forward constantly against his taller opponent, and Sadiq didn’t throw enough punches. Sadiq made an effort in the last, forcing Chelli on the retreat, but the bout ended with Chelli throwing and Sadiq holding. There was a swelling below Sadiq’s right eye.
West Ham’s Lucien Reid overcame a cut left eyebrow to drop Barcelonabased Nicaraguan Rafael Castillo in the seventh and win 80-71. Mr Mccann refereed. Meanwhile, Nathan Gorman (Nantwich) scored a repeat win over
Kamil Sokolowski (Poland/barnstaple), referee Mccann tallying 79-73. Sokolowski finished with bumps under both eyes.
Referee Coakley awarded 60-54 victories to Belfast debutant Caoimhin
Agyarko over Ladislav Nemeth (Slovakia), and Boy Jones (Chingford) against Lesther Cantillano (Barcelona via Nicaragua). The same official handed 40-36 wins to Hainault’s James Branch over Swadlincote’s Kent Kauppinen, and Ilford’s Hamza Sheeraz against Zygimantas Butkevicius (Hull via Lithuania). Butkevicius was cut in the corner of the left eye.
SELDOM, if ever, have I seen the Harvey Hadden Sports Village quite so full as it was for this Scott Calow/joe Elfidh promotion. The vast majority of fans went home happy after seeing their man, Botswana-born Ekow Essuman, need only a smidgeon over four rounds to secure the vacant English welterweight title and put paid to the hopes of Leek’s
Andy Keates.
Already trailing by three rounds (though the second session was admittedly a little closer), Keates visited the canvas on no less than four occasions – twice in quick succession at the very end of the fourth and then twice more from bursts to the body in the next. Referee Shaun Messer intervened with just 43 seconds of the fifth having elapsed, his intervention coinciding with Keates’ corner tossing in the towel.
There was concern afterwards when medics were called to Keates’ dressing room and the final bout of the night – a four-rounder between Heanor’s Jack Hutsby and Chessington’s Richard Harrison – was shelved. Thankfully, after being given a precautionary check, Keates was given the all clear. The six between Nottingham’s
Omari Grant and Telford’s still-winless Dean Jones proved a feisty affair, despite Grant, who slowed a little towards the finish, emerging a clear 60-55 winner. Jones, his nose bloodied from a nice three-shot combination in the second, replied enough to keep it entertaining. Mr Messer scored for trialist Chris Dean.
With 22 defeats in a row going into his clash with Newark’s returning Chad
Sugden, the omens did not look good for Latvia’s Jevgenijs Andrejevs. No surprise then that after being comprehensively worked over by Sugden, he should find himself on the wrong end of Mr Messer’s 40-35 decision.
The remainder of the undercard comprised a further six four-rounders, those involving first-timers Luke Haigh and Jordan Ringham being refereed by Mr Messer, and the rest being scored by him from ringside for trialist official Mr Dean.
Harworth ticket-seller Haigh looked