Wards warm up in some style
The Ward brothers warmed up for their summer assaults on major championship challenges in smooth fashion at Houghton.
West Rainton’s Tommy and Martin enjoyed effortless sixround points wins over Baltic opposition.
Younger sibling Tommy, who will have a crack at British super-bantamweight king Jazza Dickens in Leeds on May 13, controlled matters throughout against Simas Volosinas, from Lithuania.
Referee Andrew Wright marked it a 60-54 shut-out.
So did Steve Hawkins when he took charge of Martin’s match against Latvia’s Dimitrijs Gutmans.
Trainer Neil Fannan said: “I was happy when the final bell went in both fights.
“When Volosinas started the way he did, I said to myself ‘Neil, why did you get him a warm-up?’.
“But Tommy said he wanted to be on the show and I suppose from a boxer’s perspective, you train to fight.
“He looked well and I was just pleased at the final bell that there were no cuts, no injury.”
It was the 22-year-old’s 20th win while Martin clinched victory number 25.
The 28-year-old needed the minutes inside the ropes, having not fought since the Stadium of Light last July.
Martin, who is due to face reigning European superbantamweight champion Abigail Medina, won at a canter.
Ward’s southpaw right jab connected with Gutmans at will, landing with numerous left to the body, the final two rounds proving his best.
“Martin knew he needed a work-out and he got what he wanted,” said Fannan. “It’s understandable he was a bit rusty, given how long he’s been out.”
Elsewhere on the Phil Jeffries-promoted 10-bout card, there were KO wins for Peterlee debutant Chris Wallace against Vinny Atkins and dynamite Darren Surtees, from Thornley, needed just 34 seconds to stop Chris Adaway.