THUGS RUIN IT
Proceedings cut short, leaving an Area title ght to be rearranged
WHAT a shame that all the hard work put in by everyone involved with the staging of this sold-out promotion at Middleton Arena should be frustrated due to the antics of idiots outside the venue.
Just a single session of the Steve Gray-officiated scheduled four-rounder between Heywood southpaw Lee
Clayton and Westbrook’s Ricky Leach had elapsed when a ‘temporary’ halt was called. A few minutes later the announcement came from hard-grafting promoter Kieran Farrell that “due to an incident” – a stabbing, it turned out – the show was being pulled.
Hattersley’s Marcus Morrison set off like a house on fire in his eight against Huddersfield’s Alistair Warren, but couldn’t maintain the pace. Having had his nose bloodied and been forced increasingly onto the back foot in the second half of the clash, the 77-75 decision (Mr Gray) in Warren’s favour was no less than the busy Yorkshireman deserved.
Earlier, Middleton novice Connor Lynch had edged home by the narrowest of margins in a fine show-opener, referee Mark Lyson scoring him a 39-38 winner over Wigstone’s previously unbeaten Michael Williams, who was back punching for pay after more than threeand-a-half years away from the ring. Having taken an early shellacking and despite finishing with a swelling below the right eye, Williams contributed to a highly watchable affair.
Popular local first-timer Kildare Ward made a winning start against hugely experienced opposition in the shape of Dewsbury’s Youssef Al Hamidi. Ward’s fast hands and willingness to cut off the ring saw him take all four rounds on the card of referee Lyson.
Al Hamidi had his moments, though. A purple patch late in the third ensured that Ward didn’t have things all his own way.
For the record, the two bouts that didn’t happen were a vacant Central Area super-middleweight title clash between hometown favourite Darryl Sharp and York’s Harry Matthews, and a rematch over eight-twos between Hyde’s unbeaten Stacey Copeland and veteran Bulgarian Borislava Goranova.
THE VERDICT A stabbing right outside the venue halts what had been shaping up to be a very decent show.