H-SUITE, PART II

Another sold-out show for Errol Johnson, writes Andy Whittle

EDGBASTON OCTOBER 17 ★★★★★ WHOLE SHOW ★★★★★ ATMOSPHERE

FOR the second successive evening Errol Johnson’s busy BCB outfit promoted at the H Suite in Edgbaston and for the second successive evening they were rewarded with a full house.

Truth told, local first-timer Dylan Cheema, a super-lightweight and former world kickboxing champion, had seemingly done his best to sell the venue out on his own and his army of supporters celebrated loudly when referee Chris Dean awarded him three of the four rounds boxed against Derbyshire’s experienced Lee Connelly.

The fleet of foot debutant was quick to seize the initiative but he did quieten a little when, buoyed at having left Dylan with a cut lip, Lee stepped it up. All in all, it was a particularly enjoyable encounter.

The same Solihull official scored 39-37 for Burford’s Tom Brennan who having bossed the early stages against Warminster’s Paul

Cummings proved somewhat more cautious in a closer second half after being tagged by a big right hook and left with a cut to the corner of the eye in the second.

In a four that took a while to catch fire, Darlaston new start Vicky Wilkinson came out on top against Shrewsbury novice Beccy

Ferguson. Former amateur champion Wilkinson suffered a little damage above the right eyebrow, possibly the result of a head clash, and a good closing session during which she scored with a couple of combinations upstairs proved sufficient to see her home. Once more referee Mr Dean scored 39-37.

Dudley’s Shaun Messer was in charge of the fours that saw Willenhall’s Shaun Cooper and highly popular Brummie Tommy Collins secure another notch on their respective win columns. Cooper outscoring former English champion Sean ‘Showtime’ Davis 40-37 and Collins posting a shut-out victory over tough Ukrainian Vitalii Maksymiv, who took everything that came his way, which was plenty, and replied with sufficient meaty single shots to keep it interesting.