FULL HOUSE

Andy Whittle sees popular Beech Jnr triumph on debut in front of packed crowd

IT’S been a while since I’ve witnessed a debutant cheered on by so many, and with such gusto, as was the case for Bloxwich first-timer James Beech Jnr. The former Pleck ABC amateur, whose dad went in with the likes of Willie Limond, Michael Gomez and Curtis Woodhouse, made sure that the fans will return for another helping by impressing en route to a shutout 40-36 points victory over Lithuania’s Simas Volosinas who, although bettered, was reluctant to ever take a backward step. Referee-for-the-evening Kevin Parker officiated.

Two other new starters, Bicester’s Sammy Ait-tales and Erdington’s Aaron Lovell, were successful too, though by varying degrees. Southpaw Sammy, an electrical engineer by trade, ran out a narrow 39-38 winner, having suffered a flash knockdown when Warminster’s Paul Cummings clipped him with a right and sat him down in centre ring late in the second. Meanwhile, Lovell found Nuneaton veteran Kristian Laight – not as defensively savvy as is usually the case – surprisingly easy to hit, as he registered a 40-36 win.

Birmingham’s heavily tattooed Ishmael Ellis, throwing regular combinations, chalked up victory number three with a 39-37 triumph over Reading’s alwaysgame Ibrar Riyaz. Keeping his elbows tucked in tight and taking a fair percentage of shots on his gloves and arms, Riyaz replied sufficiently enough with his own right hooks to ensure that there was never a huge amount of daylight between the pair.

The final four-rounder saw Redditch’s Carl Dickens return to winning ways with a 39-38 success over Llanelli-based Pole Robert Studzinski.

There was never a great deal in it, with Robert replying to Dickens’ punches with a series of clubbing rights to the head. On another day, Studzinski might just have been rewarded with a share of the spoils.

THE VERDICT Standing room only at the Tudor Grange Leisure Centre, which is proving a regular and popular venue for boxing.