KING OF ENGLAND
Iqbal conquers Camacho to win English cruiserweight crown
DERBY’S popular Arfan Iqbal captured the vacant English cruiserweight title by halting southpaw Wadi Camacho in four rounds at York Hall.
Iqbal found the target with rights to the head from the first, though Camacho (Canning Town) never stopped trying. In fact, it was an effort to grab the initiative that proved Camacho’s downfall – he came storming out for the fourth, initially taking Iqbal by surprise. But Iqbal rallied, and a big right to the head had Camacho unsteady on the ropes – and a protracted twofisted follow-up convinced referee Phil Edwards to stop it after 1-04.
There were three more 10-rounders on this Goodwin Promotions show, two involving vacant Southern Area titles.
Jumanne Camero (Mitcham) grabbed the lightweight belt, beating Portsmouth’s game David Birmingham
after 57 seconds of the sixth. The taller Camero kept in control with long southpaw jabs, though Birmingham was always trying to get close and had the occasional success. But in the sixth Birmingham was stunned by a right to the head and was trapped on the ropes, finally going down on all fours. Referee Lee Cook counted him out in the act of rising.
At welter, Islington’s Freddy Kiwitt beat Erick Ochieng (Stoke Newington) after 2-29 of the seventh. Here again the winner was generally on top, scoring with rights to the head. In the seventh a right and following left hook to the head dropped Ochieng face-first – he got on all fours, and followed referee Gray’s count, but didn’t move until ‘nine’ and was counted out, much to Ochieng’s fury.
There was anger, too, from Chigwell’s
Justin Menzie after being declared a 96-95 loser against Diego Burton
(Chigwell) after a rather messy 10. Menzie flung his cap into Burton’s corner and stormed out of the ring.
The shorter Menzie had some early success, but was staggered in the fourth and wrestled over at the bell. Menzie’s side-on southpaw style made him hard to tag cleanly, but Burton stuck to his work – and Menzie’s cause wasn’t helped by several warnings from referee Cook.
Adrian Martin (Ingatestone) celebrated his fourth-round retirement win over Jan Balog (Czech Republic) by calling girlfriend Lauren Evans into the ring and proposing to her. There was a roar from the fans when she accepted.
Martin was on top in the scheduled eight-rounder. Balog, a fleshy southpaw, came forward but was picked off – and when the visitor landed it had no effect. Before the start of the fifth Balog’s corner called referee Gray over and retired their man with an injured knee.
In sixes, referee Gray turned in 60-54 cards for Joe Mccorry (Peckham) over Newark’s Fonz Alexander and Chris Davies (Richmond) over Josef Obeslo of the Czech Republic. Obeslo bled from the nose in the third.
Tunni Ogunniya (Enfield) made a successful debut, halting Newton Abbot’s Jack Green after 1-53 of the fourth and last round.
Ogunniya showed good punch selection and Green was under constant pressure, picking up a swelling by the left eye in the second. In the fourth Green was taking stick on the ropes, and referee Edwards stepped in.
Mr Edwards also intervened to save Latvia’s Florian Strupits after 1-57 of his scheduled four against Mikael Lawal (Shepherd’s Bush). Lawal was hunting his man down from the outset, and a solid right-left to the head dropped Strupits by the ropes. He got up, but Mr Edwards finished the eightcount and then signalled the end.
The show ended with a rousing four between Tonbridge’s Lewis Syrett and Gabor Balogh, a Hungarian now based in Golders Green (and having his first bout since March 2014). Southpaw Syrett took Mr Cook’s 39-38 verdict but there was good action, and Syrett finished with a cut above the right eye.
Billy Allington (Egham) outscored Gloucester’s Andrew Harris over four, referee Edwards’ 40-35 scoreline reflecting a point deduction for Harris in the last after warnings for several infringements. But there was applause for Harris afterwards when it was announced that he had only taken the bout that morning.
In other fours, Mr Cook handed 40-36 verdicts to Thamesmead’s Nathan Weise over Geiboord Omier (a Nicaraguan based in Spain) and Chingford’s Liam Dillon over Swindon’s
Joe Beeden – and a 40-37 win to debutant Sam Gilley (Walthamstow) over Slovakian Rudolf Durica.
THE VERDICT Plenty of excitement in all three title bouts.