STAINED STEEL
British Lionhearts have their hopes of reaching World Series nal dented
SOMETIMES in sport you have to take your hat off to the opposition and say you lost to the better team. That was certainly the case in Sheffield where the British Lionhearts displayed every ounce of the commodity this city is most famous for, only to come out second best to the excellent Kazakhstan Astana Arlans.
The reigning World Series of Boxing champions left Ponds Forge in pole position to reach another final after beating the hosts 3-2 in the first leg of this enthralling semi.
Excellent wins by Commonwealth Games medallists Galal Yafai and
Cheavon Clarke in the first and last bouts of the evening ensured the Lionhearts remain in with a shout going into Saturday’s eagerlyanticipated return fixture against Kazakhstan’s elite at the Sport Cultural Complex Zhaik.
However, in the three contests in between, the Astana Arlans fully justified their star qualities, although those matches will have provided invaluable experience for the three beaten Brits.
On the subject of star quality, what a performer Yafai is. Fresh from his title on the Gold Coast, the 25-year-old chased Temirtas
Zhussupov from the opening bell of Sheffield’s first taste of WSB.
Zhussupov, a seasoned campaigner in this competition, proved a worthy foe in the opening two sessions, but Yafai dominated round three and controlled thereafter. A cracking right-left combination was the highlight of the fourth while the southpaw bossed round five with rights to the body and lefts to the Kazakh’s head.
Yafai was a clear winner, or so it appeared, though one judge sided with Zhussupov 48-47 but the GB light-fly got the nod 50-45, 48-47 from the other officials for a split decision.
Another Birmingham talent was Niall Farrell up against Ilyas Suleimenov. The 20-yearold began brightly with an early combination but the man in the blue corner was one tough operator.
There was no subtlety from Suleimenov, who never once bothered with the jab, the Kazakh constantly loading up for a big right over the top which, to be fair, he was good at.
Farrell lifted the crowd with a sparkling third-round combo but it only provoked Suleimenov into a violent response. Credit to Farrell for taking the bantamweight battle all the way but Astana got it 50-44, 48-46 and 49-45.
Dalton Smith flew the Sheffield flag at light-welterweight and flew it with distinction against Dimurat Mizhitov in a superb contest. These 64kgs boxers had almost identical WSB records and they took some separating in the ring.
After the fireworks of the previous fight, this was more measured as Smith scored nicely with a straight right to the head and showed good variety with his bodywork.
Your BN reporter thought the Steel City boxer’s better quality shaded round two, but Mizhitov successfully shut down the space and thrived on the close-quarter exchanges in the third and fourth sessions.
It was all down to the fifth for me, which proved a scrappy affair, but the judges from Germany, Romania and Spain saw differently and all marked Mizhitov as the victor, 48-47, 49-46 and 49-44.
With the Lionhearts 2-1 behind, the pressure moved onto the young shoulders of Jordan Reynolds in his middleweight confrontation with Abilkhan Amankul.
Reynolds, a late call-up, showed no sign of nerves in only his second WSB appearance and began splendidly with two body combinations.
But the Astana Arlans southpaw was a class act, his left through the middle constantly finding the mark.
A four-punch head salvo in the fourth was further confirmation of his superiority but Reynolds did his team proud by his never-say-die effort. Amankul got the nod 50-45 (twice) and 49-46.
Clarke made sure Kazakhstan did not run away with the match with victory on his WSB debut in the showdown of the heavyweights.
Like Reynolds, the Commonwealth Games bronze medallist was brought in at the 11th hour to replace the squad’s Bulgarian guest. (No disrespect Radoslav Pantaleev, but it was surely better to see one of GB’S own wearing the golden gloves anyway?)
Clarke was imperious from the start, boxing with the confidence gained from his success in Australia.
He looked poised for the only stoppage of the night when a left to Arbek Abduganiyev’s head produced a second-round standing count and the Kazakh soon received another from the German referee after a stinging left to the body.
But Abduganiyev made it through those difficult moments and all the way through to the end as Clarke, sensibly, eased off the gas in his first five-rounder. However, his 49-45 and 50-44 (twice) romp closed the night in style and kept the Lionhearts in the tie.