FABIO EARNS HIS CORN

Wardley disposes of Hungarian opposition at the Corn Exchange

IT was punches, not grain, that were being swapped at the Corn Exchange in Ipswich, as the Suffolk town staged its first pro boxing event in almost two decades. Mervyn Turner promoted just 24 hours after doing likewise in Norwich.

Topping the bill at the ornate venue was three-fight heavyweight novice Fabio Wardley. Unfazed at boxing in his hometown, he duly steamrolled Hungarian veteran Ferenc Zsalek, requiring just 101 seconds of a scheduled six-rounder to secure victory by way of a KO. Ian John-lewis refereed, just as he did in all of the evening’s contests.

Wardley’s early success wasn’t the only one. There was a firstround victory too, with 11 seconds remaining, for Londoner Dan Azeez. In a bout slated for four, Azeez secured his third consecutive stoppage by overwhelming Latvian southpaw Jevgenijs Andrejevs.

Islandeady’s Ray Moylette,

ahead of a date Stateside, honed his skills against the latest of a growing number of Barcelona-based Nicaraguans in the guise of Jorge Moreno.

There are seemingly now 23 Nicaraguan pros residing in the Spanish city. To date, in a combined total of 160 appearances in the UK, they have amassed a grand total of one victory. No surprise then that Moylette knocked Moreno out at 2-09 of the seventh session.

There wasn’t a great deal of daylight in the four between Clacton’s popular Joe Hurn and Stourbridge-based Cameroonianswiss Emmanuel Moussinga, Hurn edging home 39-38. Meanwhile, local first-timer Ryan Copland got off to a winning start by outpointing Warminster’s Paul Cummings 39-37. A one-sided six saw Croydon’s Connor Vian maintain his 100 per cent record with a 60-54 success against Brierley Hill’s still-winless MJ Hall.

THE VERDICT Not since the days of a prime David Starie have Ipswich fight fans been able to enjoy boxing on local turf.