MATTHEWS WINS ENGLISH TITLE
Commonwealth belt now in sights
ELLIOTT MATTHEWS boxed well on the retreat and took a unanimous verdict over Chatham’s Grant Dennis to take the vacant English middleweight title at York Hall.
Now Matthews, who scored his 20th win against one draw, is set to challenge Commonwealth champion Liam Cameron – an interested spectator, along with promoter Dennis Hobson. The bout is projected for Sheffield’s Ponds Forge on February 2.
At the end of 10 entertaining rounds, both were lifted up by their corners – and Dennis, who lost for the first time after 10 wins, looked disappointed when the verdict was announced. Some ringsiders thought Dennis unlucky – but I felt Matthews’ countering more than offset Dennis’ aggression. Judges Robert Williams and John Keane scored it 97-94, while Ian John-lewis had it closer at 96-95.
Matthews (Watford) suffered damage to both eyes, and at the start of the sixth referee Marcus Mcdonnell took him to his corner to have a large streak of grease wiped from the side of the right optic.
Watched by former champions and contenders Floyd Mayweather Snr, John Conteh and Dennis Andries, southpaw Matthews quickly made his intentions clear, moving and looking to land as Dennis (Chatham) pressed forward. Matthews scored with jabs and solid left crosses, but could stop Dennis coming.
Dennis was getting through, and there was a swelling below Matthews’ left eye by the end of the fourth. Matthews held in the fifth as Dennis got close, and in the sixth Matthews was knocked spectacularly back into the ropes.
Matthews had a good seventh, deflecting Dennis’ leads and scoring effectively with lefts. Dennis made a big effort in the last, forcing Matthews against the ropes – and a big right had him holding on.
Danny Kennedy (St Helier) made it seven straight wins by outscoring Islington’s Jordan Grannum over six. Robert Williams (scoring for triallist referee Mark Bates) had it 60-55, presumably giving Grannum a share of the last.
Kennedy pressed forward behind the jab, while Grannum moved and threw the occasional counter. Grannum opened up in the sixth, and came back after being wobbled by a right – but the first five were all Kennedy.
Nine four-rounders completed this Warriors Promotion card.
In a battle of middleweight debutants, Chavez Campbell impressed by crushing Dan Ballard in the first. Looking cool and compact, Campbell came forward behind the jab – and when he landed, his punches carried weight. Ballard landed a right to the head, but Campbell came back with one that sent Ballard crashing down. He took referee Bates’ count on all-fours – the bell rang during the count, and it was announced as a count-out after 3-06.
Another first-timer, Hackney’s Frank Arnold, KO’D fellow-southpaw Kieran Holman (Sheffield) after 1-15 of the fourth. Arnold came forward throughout, but was caught by a left counter in the second and touched down – and referee Williams correctly counted. It looked like going the distance – but in the fourth Arnold ripped in a big right to the body that sent Holman down, to be counted out on one knee.
Another fourth round winner was Farnborough’s Andre Grant, who landed a left hook to the head that floored Hungarian Roland Petrovics in a neutral corner. Petrovics’ corner waved the towel, but referee Chas Coakley proceeded to count the visitor out after 2-28. Petrovics tried but was generally outworked, though he opened a cut over Grant’s left eye in the second.
Latvia’s Dmitrijs Gutmans willingly joined battle with Londoner Emran Hussain and was rewarded with a 39-39 draw from referee Coakley. There was little between them at any stage, with some good exchanges – and both held after shipping big rights in the third. A right counter staggered Hussain in the last.
At cruiser, debutant Julian Wilson
dominated Latvian Florian Strupits,
taking a 40-36 verdict from referee Lee Every. Wilson switched stances and at times hit Strupits at will. Strupits bled from the nose in the second and his face was marked up by the finish.
There were 40-36 wins for two other first-timers, Rod Douglas Jnr getting Mr Every’s vote over Eastbourne’s Scott Hillman, and southpaw Connor Wright
taking referee Williams’ verdict over Manchester’s Sam Omidi.
Quaise Khademi, an Afghan based in Leyton, shrugged off a cut left eyebrow to beat Russia’s Sergey Tasimov, referee Coakley scoring 40-37.
Chorleywood’s Ryan Maycock beat Lithuanian Arvydas Trizno by 40-36, Lee Every scoring for Mark Bates.
THE VERDICT Bigger things now beckon for Matthews.