FIVE FOR FULLER
Local man shuts out Khan to move to 5-0
LENNY FULLER delighted his local fans, taking a clear verdict over Sheffield’s Karim Khan at Maidstone Leisure Centre. Khan’s nickname is “Sledgehammer,” and he had a weight advantage of more than half a stone, but he couldn’t hurt Fuller with his best punches. In the first, Khan landed a solid-looking right to the chin which had no effect, and Fuller stayed in control, moving well and landing as Khan came in.
Both switched stance in the opening two rounds, but nothing Khan did troubled Fuller. Khan was trapped on the ropes in the third and Fuller was really beating him to the punch in the fourth. By now Khan’s face was looking marked up. Fuller had a swelling under the left eye but never looked bothered, and he scored well with long jabs in the fifth. Khan’s gumshield was knocked out in the sixth and he held as Fuller picked his shots effectively. Referee Ian John-lewis scored it 60-54. Fuller is due to top the bill on the next JE Promotions show here on April 27.
Southpaw Martin Hillman (Orpington) outscored Middleton’s
Steven Maguire, referee Chas Coakley scoring 59-55. A Hillman attack had Maguire covering up in the first, and when Maguire tried to grab the initiative in the second he was caught as he came in, leading to a bump under his right eye. Hillman was wrestled down, but two rights to the body had Maguire over. He was up at ‘six,’ and the bell rang.
Maguire had some success in the third and fourth, but Hillman came back, and the fourth ended with Maguire taking stick in the corner. Hillman dominated the last two, and a right to the head had Maguire unsteady in the last.
Jack Budge (Hoo) beat Ricky Starkey (Liverpool), Mr Coakley tallying 59-56. This one was marred by too much tangling, but the effective work mostly came from Budge. Starkey was warned for headwork in the second, and was wrestled over. By the end of the session, Budge was cut in the corner of the left eye. Starkey went down in the third, though it was ruled a slip (it looked to me as though he had taken a left to the head). In the last, a right had Starkey holding, and Budge was picking his punches well.
The sole inside-schedule win came in the curtain-raiser, when Danny Shannon (Chatham) halted Eastbourne’s
Scott Hillman in the fourth and last round. Hillman took a steady beating for three rounds, and was floored by a right to the head in the fourth. He was up at ‘four’, and a two-fisted burst had him unstable, about to go down again. Referee Coakley called a halt after 38 seconds.
Local Chris Lawrence knew too much for Birmingham debutant
Uzzy Ahmed, and took referee John-lewis’ 39-37 verdict. Lawrence started aggressively, scoring through the middle, while Ahmed was willing to join battle. A Lawrence attack had Ahmed holding in the second, and the newcomer was under pressure on the ropes in the third. But Lawrence wasn’t having things all his own way, and the third saw a graze appear above his left eye and a trickle of blood come from his nose. A right had Lawrence holding on, but when Ahmed followed up, and pressured him to a neutral corner, Lawrence turned him neatly. In the fourth, a right to the head had Lawrence holding again, and then Ahmed landed a low left, and Lawrence was given time to recover. A Lawrence attack forced Ahmed to hold, but Ahmed landed a good right to the body, and Lawrence was bleeding from a swelling under the left eye. Ahmed landed a decent right, and followed up, and on the evidence of that fourth round he’s got plenty to offer. Southpaw Danny Barrett (Stoke, Kent) outworked Langold’s Luke Middleton and duly took Mr Johnlewis’ 40-36 scoreline. Barrett pressed forward, throwing long jabs, and when he got close Middleton held. Middleton circled, and tried to counter, but didn’t throw enough. Barrett said afterwards he was looking for a Southern Area title eliminator by the end of the year.
THE VERDICT Wins for all six Kent fighters.