BOWES TAKES TITLE
Rip-roaring coronation for Londoner
PHILIP BOWES won the vacant Commonwealth super-lightweight title in style, flooring and halting Tanzania’s
Benson Nyilawila in two rounds at York Hall. It was a triumph for Bowes (Leytonstone), whose three losses had all come in title bids (two Southern Area, one English), and whose only two stoppage wins had come back in 2013 and 2014.
Nyilawila’s sole defeat beforehand came by decision against unbeaten Kosovan Sherif Morina in the latter’s adopted country, Germany, with one score of 96-94 and two of 97-93. So the feeling was that he could take care of himself, and would very likely go the full 12. The first round gave no hint otherwise, with both men moving around and throwing jabs from the southpaw stance. There was a lot of missing from both, with nothing happening of real note.
But Nyilawila took his time to come out for the second, and Bowes struck, suddenly and devastatingly. A right and following left to the head had the visitor down, and Bowes’ follow-up attack sent Nyilawila staggering back into the ropes. Finally, a left hook to the head dropped him again. He was up at ‘six’, but referee John Latham completed the eight-count and then waved it off after 1-17.
This Mickey Helliet promotion featured two debutants, with contrasting results. Ilford’s Jordan Blake took a comfortable win over Hull-based Lithuanian Zygimantas Butkevicius,
referee Jeff Hinds marking 40-36. Butkevicius came to try but Jordan kept in control, forcing the pace and scoring consistently with jabs. A right to the side of the head had Butkevicius holding in the third and he was under more pressure in the last, though he was fighting back by the end.
Harlow’s Michael Ibrahim,
meanwhile, caught a Tartar in Kent Kauppinen, and was stopped after 1-38 of the third (set for four). Kauppinen (Swadlincote) took the early initiative, but Ibrahim came back, landing with both hands. Things got messy in the second, with Ibrahim being wrestled over, and referee Hinds spoke to both. A left hook had Ibrahim holding on in the third and he went on the retreat, grabbing as Kauppinen stormed in. Ibrahim was bundled over (no count), but then a right to the head had him down. He was up at ‘eight’, but referee Hinds waved it off.
John Brennan (Slough) halted Slovakian Andrej Moravek in the second of a scheduled four. The end was bizarre. Moravek had been taking stick on the ropes, bravely trying to fight back, but was finally put down in Brennan’s corner. He got up at ‘six’ and walked to a neutral corner, his back to Brennan, who raced across the ring, bent on attacking him from behind. Referee Mark Bates stepped between them and called it off after 1-34
In another slated four, southpaw Chris Bourke (Streatham) stopped Bradford’s Jake Pollard after 50 seconds of the third. Pollard came forward gamely but was picked off by jabs. In the second, a left to the body hurt Pollard, and Bourke’s follow-up had him down face-first. He beat the count and tried to rally, but the bell rang with Pollard on the receiving end of a burst upstairs. In the third, a left to the head had Pollard down again, and though he made it up at ‘eight’, referee Bates signalled the end.
Atherton’s William Warburton
survived a difficult journey on the motorway and took Eltham’s Ohio Kain the distance, referee Bates scoring 60-54 to the latter. Warburton held in the third three times after being caught by rights, and was wrestled over in the last. The same official awarded Sean Phillips (Gravesend) a 60-54 victory over Middleton’s Darryl Sharp.
There were 40-36 wins for Epsom’s Dan Morley against Driffield’s Danny Little (Bates) and Balham’s Ramon Perez versus Birmingham’s Ben Fields
(Hinds). Mr Bates also scored Dungarvan’s Dylan Moran a 40-37 winner over Barcelona-based Nicaraguan Oscar Amador.
THE VERDICT Bowes finally wins a pro belt – and in style.