NORMAN CONQUEST
Roy Kelly sees Maphosa prove that he is no average Joe
JOE MAPHOSA took a confident step towards title contention by outpointing ex-english champ Louis
Norman over six exciting rounds. The Stockton man started and finished the bout superbly on a nine-fight Phil Jeffries/steve Wraith event at Rainton Meadows Arena. Norman vowed to “whoop” the Frank Warren-promoted prospect and he certainly gave it his all, taking the third and fourth sessions to level matters with only two rounds to go. But Maphosa turned on the style when it mattered, landing some sharp shots while making the Shepshed man miss, to clinch a 58-56 result from referee Ron Kearney.
In the other six-rounder on the bill, Newcastle’s Dean Laing was unfortunate to miss out on the decision against Harry Matthews, referee Jamie Kirkpatrick judging it 58-57 to the Pocklington fighter. BN had Matthews winning rounds three and six only, but Mr Kirkpatrick’s tally was the only one that counted.
The rest of the bill was a procession of one-sided fourrounders. Redcar’s Tom Hill felled Brierley Hill southpaw MJ Hall twice, with Mr Kearney wisely calling a halt at 2-06 in the opener. Newcastle’s Joe Laws is a man accustomed to early finishes, but he was taken the distance for the first time, with Wigston’s Michael Williams earning a share of the last round, Mr Kearney scoring it 40-37.
The remainder of the card produced five 40-36 results. Middlesbrough’s Michael Webster
enjoyed a winning debut against Lithuania’s Dmitrij Kalinovskij
in the show-opener handled by Mr Kirkpatrick, who also raised the arm of Ferryhill’s Terry Tyers
against seasoned Bolton campaigner Chris Jenkinson, and Hartlepool’s Luke Cope, who bossed another Lithuanian in Simas Volosinas.
Mr Kearney oversaw victories for Newcastle’s Terence Wilkinson,
who dominated Blackburn’s Naheem Chaudhry, and Redcar’s Joe Hill, whose opponent, Stourbridge’s Kevin Mccauley, was stepping into the ring for the 214th time.
THE VERDICT Maphosa is closing in on the flyweight/ super-fly title picture.