Tool-sharpener

Smith readies himself for Area title shot, writes Jacob Kilbride

LEVI SMITH warmed up for next week’s shot at the Central Area title with a shutout points win over Tony Morton – but suffered a nasty cut to his right eye en route to the victory.

Patient behind his jab, Smith controlled the pace and tempo against Morton but struggled to hurt the elusive back-foot Glaswegian. In the third, an accidental clash of heads left Smith cut just above on his right eye, while blood dripped from the top of Morton’s head.

Smith’s corner, which was led by two-time featherweight belt-holder Josh Warrington, managed to prevent the cut from worsening as the unbeaten Doncaster man won a 40-36 decision from the evening’s referee Andy Brook.

Smith and team will now be hopeful of a full recovery ahead of challenging Central Area super-featherweight champion Lewis Wood at Manchester’s Bowlers Exhibition Centre on April 27 – just 15 days on from this contest.

Elsewhere on the four-fight Mark Bateson promotion at The Engine Shed in Wetherby, Henry Wharton-trained York prospects Nathan Shepherd and Jack Marshall each claimed 40-36 verdicts, over Manchester’s Josh Cook and Sheffield’s Paul Scaife, respectively.

Shepherd dug in body shots from start to finish, particularly in the first couple of rounds, and only got better as the contest wore on, particularly in the third round when landing a combination of an eye-catching flush left followed by an overhand right.

The diminutive Marshall impressed with his relentless workrate, peppering Scaife with a series of straight lefts and right hooks to the body throughout, before briefly stiffening the South Yorkshire man’s legs with a left hook prior to the final bell.

The card opened with a 39-37 triumph for Paul Clewes of Doncaster over the entertaining Camden veteran, Robbie Chapman.

Clewes struggled to break the tight guard of Chapman, even when the Londoner chose to hold his ground in his own corner for the full three minutes of a remarkable final round.