REVENGE IS SWEET
Taylor pips previous conqueror Nurse to a split decision
JUST once in 20 previous outings had Middleton’s Liam Taylor not had his arm raised at the final bell. On that occasion, just over three-and-a-half years ago in Leeds, he lost out over 10 to Huddersfield stylist Tyrone Nurse, despite acquitting himself well, having only stepped in at a couple of days’ notice.
Fast forward to another 10-rounder, this one closer to home at the Victoria Warehouse, and it was Taylor who, by way of a split decision, gained revenge and moved a step closer to a British welterweight title shot – this fight being an eliminator for that belt.
It was an intriguing and thoroughly enjoyable nip-and-tuck affair. I didn’t know who would get the nod at the finish. Former British super-lightweight titlist Nurse, who was cut by the left eye late in the seventh, arguably went into the eighth a round ahead. Taylor, meanwhile, exhibited the slightly better shot selection and inside work. Some of Liam’s best moments came immediately after he had been tagged himself.
The last two rounds were as close and hard to score as several of the earlier ones. Ultimately, it was Taylor who prevailed. The scorecards at the finish read 96-95 and 96-94 in his favour ( John Latham and Mark Lyson respectively), while Howard Foster had it 96-94 for Nurse. Phil Edwards refereed.
Lithuania’s Vaidas Balciauskas needed every ounce of his ring savvy to make it through to the end against impressive Stretford novice Bradley
Rea. The visitor hung in there and earned every penny of his purse. Mr Edwards scored 40-36 from ringside, while Andy Brook was in charge.
The only stoppage on this seven-bout VIP promotion saw Kane Gardner, from nearby Beswick, triumph in the fifth of a scheduled six against Plymouth’s Chris
Adaway. Referee Brook intervened with 65 seconds having elapsed, despite the vehement protests of the Devonian.
The finish came with Gardner, who had mixed it up nicely and scored with both hands throughout, showing no sign of his work rate lessening. Mr Brook decided that the action had simply become a little too one-sided.
Salford’s Luke Evans, in only his second fight back since recovering from some horrendous facial injuries sustained in a knife attack, saw off Cannock’s Lee
Gunter, who has now lost more than he has won.
Gunter did enjoy spells of success in the second half when, faced with an opponent who at times dropped his hands, he obliged by slinging in a couple of telling shots. There were insufficient, though, for them to alter the 60-54 decision turned in by referee Edwards. Plymouth’s Christian Hoskingomez, who finished marked below the left eye, was having his 50th paid outing but couldn’t prevent Huyton’s 2013 England Boxing Elite champion Adam
Farrell from securing a debut victory. Mr Latham, scoring from ringside for Mr Brook, tallied 40-36 in favour of Farrell, just a day ahead of his 31st birthday.
There were shutout 40-36 victories too for Rochdale’s Muhammad Ali and Oldham’s Joe Eko, who came out on top in their respective fights with Driffield’s
Danny Little and Telford’s Dean Jones. Jamie Kirkpatrick officiated both contests.
Ali, in the news not only for the obvious name connection but also by virtue of him being the first boxer in the country with type one diabetes to be granted a BBBOFC licence, encountered little by way of trouble from the switchhitting Little. Eko, meanwhile, cutting off the ring and on the offensive throughout, never allowed Jones a look in.
THE VERDICT The cracker of a main event could easily have gone either way.