STREAKING SUTTON
Aaron extends winning start to his pro career, writes Gareth Jones from ringside
AARON SUTTON took his winning streak to 14, but had to work for it against combative Bulgarian Vladimir Georgiev in the novel surroundings of an underground loading bay beneath The Galleries shopping mall.
Sutton, the Southern Area middleweight champion and one of six city boys on the bill, took a while to work out the long-armed East European, but by the third was beginning to land regularly. Georgiev, still ambitious, kept moving in only to be picked off. In the last he was caught with his legs in a tangle and dropped by a right, but deservedly survived to the bell, referee Reece Carter giving him a share of one session in an 80-72 scoreline.
The fight of the night saw the only non-bristolian from the home stable, Taunton-pole Pawel August, in a torrid six-threes with bushy-bearded Russian Ibragim Tsurov. The ungainly visitor, on his first visit to these shores, was more than competitive.
He particularly enjoyed landing four short uppercuts in the fourth, stepping back to mime them again with a grin. August, however, was sharper and showed more variety, working well inside to edge a real crowd-pleaser.
Mr Carter’s 59-56 card – he judged from ringside as triallist Sean Mcevoy patrolled the canvas – had the right winner, but was harsh on Tsurov.
The other six-rounder saw Anton Haskins, son of former belt-holder Lee, display bright green hair, a matching mouthpiece and his usual array of tricks against Killamarsh trier Lee Connelly, who was quite happy to go along with the fun. Mr Carter’s 60-54 was inevitable.
Manager Chris Sanigar was pleased with the debut of 23-year-old heavyweight Isaac Lee, a late starter with just two amateur bouts behind him. He showed neat skills, enough power to drop Blackpool’s fleshy Jake Darnell in the second and the patience not to go wild after that success. Mr Carter scored it 40-35, Mr Mcevoy did the legwork.
The same combination oversaw veteran Ashley Lane’s 40-36 defeat of Mancunian Stephen Jackson and a 39-37 win for Ben Demmery over Dean Wilkinson, from Middleton.
Mr Carter, flying solo, surprised Ben’s twin, Jake Demmery, when he handed a 39-38 verdict to Hyde’s Dale Arrowsmith. Dale seemed to have followed the journeyman’s code, stepping up his effort in the final session, only to be as amazed as his opponent when he discovered it had won him the fight!
THE VERDICT Sutton had a good workout, but will hope to do better on the big stage in Cardiff on June 4.