SYLVESTER WINS

Lewis tries for stoppage but settles for points win, writes Ashley Ball

LEWIS SYLVESTER did all he could to wipe out ‘the violent vegan’ Lee Connelly but settled for a convincing six-round points victory at the Magna Centre. The Hull man’s previous attempts to go six have been ended early by his own fists but Killamarsh’s Connelly proved durable enough to give the promising fighter more experience.

Referee Darren Sarginson scored it 60-54 but credit to the away man for absorbing big shots, particularly in the first round, and firing back in his usual scrappy manner.

Half of the Stefy Bull and Ryan Rhodes bill was made up of home debutants and there were no slip-ups from Will Simpson, Jamie Mellers or Brodie Carroll. Simpson, Sheffield-based but originally from Harrogate, dished out a fair amount of punishment against Doncaster’s Jake Bray. He claimed every round under the watch of Steve Gray and left Bray with blood streaming from his left eye and nose at the end of 12 minutes.

Mr Gray scored Doncaster’s Mellers a 40-37 winner over birthday boy Genadij Krajevskij, the Liverpool-based Lithuanian. It was a fair reflection with Mellers settling into the contest as it wore on.

Leeds lad Carroll was given an unkind bow against the unorthodox Matar Sambou, with Mr Sarginson seeing him scrape by 39-38. The Barnet-based Cameroonian caught Mellers regularly with elongated jabs. Carroll’s energy got him off to the win he just about deserved.

Any hopes Liverpool’s Jack Dwyer career could start successfully looked forlorn against Conner Kelsall of Doncaster. Kelsall’s evasiveness frustrated Dwyer into losing his cool in the second and he managed to fire ever wider of the mark than he had been doing previously. Kelsall then showed off more of his offensive skillset, with Mr Sarginson scoring it 40-36.

Doncaster’s Josh Padley edged an entertaining scrap against Mallorca-based Argentine Ezequiel Gregores, 40-36 in Mr Gray’s opinion.