BRITISH ROAD TRIP
Frank has too much in his arsenal for Wilton
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A SHOW at Ponds Forge Arena, which at the beginning of the week looked like consisting of seven bouts, had by Thursday dwindled to five and come fight night was down to just three. Thankfully, one of those that did survive the decimation was local favourite Tommy Frank’s shot at the vacant Commonwealth super-flyweight title and Belfast’s Luke Wilton, the general consensus being that it might just be a tough assignment for the Central Area champion.
Any such fears, however, proved unfounded, with Frank turning on the style and wowing his supporters, many of whom donned the same red bandana headgear worn by Tommy on his ring walk. Frank floored the outclassed Wilton on no less than four occasions, before referee Michael Alexander decided that enough was enough with just 50 seconds of the fourth having gone. At the finish, Wilton, who to his credit had rallied a little after a nightmare start, was sent sprawling a final time by an accumulation of shots, after earlier in the round being dropped to all fours in front of his own corner.
It hadn’t taken Frank long to make the breakthrough. Twice in quick succession in the opener he decked Wilton – a sledgehammer of an overhand right set up another right soon after that sent him down, before yet another right, this time a cross, had the same effect. Post-fight, promoter Dennis Hobson described Tommy’s performance as “world class” while, the following day, Wilton announced his retirement. All at BN wish him well for the future.
The six-round chief support yielded something of a surprise when Manchester’s previously unbeaten Michael Gomez
Jnr came unstuck at the hands of Cardiff veteran Henry Janes. A glance at Janes’ recent record, though, reveals he’s no easy touch. His ledger includes wins over fancied opponents in Troy James and Jordan Cooke.
Janes silenced Gomez’s supporters among the crowd by getting the 58-57 nod from Howard Foster, who was scoring from ringside for trialist referee Andy Brook. Janes was rewarded for his tenacity against Gomez, who, until the very last session, one felt never really settled into his stride, by which time victory was beyond his grasp. By the halfway stage and with not an awful lot of daylight separating the pair, Gomez had picked up a nick to the left eyebrow, while Janes was marked below the right optic. However, it was the Welshman who, slightly busier even when relegated to the back foot, took the next two on my card, before that late rally from Gomez, who enjoyed his most productive spell in the closing frame.
A sole four-rounder got proceedings off to a start when Sheffield’s Kane Salvin, victorious over the distance in his only previous outing, banked win number two by edging out Bradford’s as-yet-winless
Jake Pollard by the narrowest of margins. Mr Foster, once more doing the sums for referee Brook, had it 39-38.
A first round, notable only by the fact that barely a punch was thrown by the two circling protagonists, thankfully wasn’t replicated in the ensuing sessions – not after a word to the wise from the third man early in the second, anyway. Nonetheless, at times the bout was in dire need of an injection of pace. A short right from Salvin, hot on the heels of a spell of leaning on, caught Pollard coming in midway through the last, and after heads clashed, he scored too with a right up top and a left inside. It wasn’t pretty, but Salvin came through.
Before the evening’s action commenced, a group of youngsters taught by ex-pro Richard Towers showcased their shadowboxing skills in the ring, before exiting and each introducing themselves politely to ringside officials.
THE VERDICT Fans disappointed at cancelled bouts are cheered by the coronation of a new local champion.