BILLAMSMITH SOARS

Will Hale sees rising South Coast prospect halt game opponent

BOURNEMOUTH’S Chris Billam-smith forced referee Mark Bates to rescue Swadlincote’s immensely tough Kent

Kauppinen at 0-45 of the last in a mooted six-rounder in headlining a Bendall’s Boxing promotion at the O2 Academy.

Kent was floored in both the first and second sessions and it seemed that the smooth, educated power punching of Billam-smith had the former MMA fighter out of his depth. But to his credit, Kauppinen surged forwards towards the incoming hooks and uppercuts launched by the touted prospect. Chris kept chopping Kent down and a three-punch cluster battered the last of the resistance out of him in the final frame. The stoppage was perfectly timed, with Kauppinen vertical but with nothing left to give. In another six officiated by Bates, Yeovil’s

Dean Dodge looked in trouble against Stapleford’s Nathan Kirk but uncorked a thunderous right hand in the third that made the count unnecessary at 2-23. Although two rounds down on my card, Kirk had stiffened Dodge’s pins significantly with a succession of right hands. Dean was starting to struggle until he turned the tables dramatically.

Southampton’s Joe Pigford returned to action after an 18-month layoff to impressively halt Poland’s Daniel Urbanski at 1-14 of the third in a slated six. Now trained by Ricky Hatton, Joe smashed the visitor’s mouthguard across the ring in the first and then decked his man twice in the third before referee Chas Coakley ended it.

In the first of two fours also overseen by Coakley, Southampton’s Jack Hillier shut out Lithuania’s Simas Volosinas 40-36. Jack showed good ring generalship and outworked the import, overcoming damage underneath his left eye. Meanwhile, Bournemouth’s Lee

Cutler registered a convincing 40-35 win over Poland’s Patryk Buczek. A right from Cutler floored Patryk in the second.