WAR HEROES
Garvey and Shinkwin both give their all in a punishing battle
KIRK GARVEY became English lightheavyweight champion with a gruelling points win over defending champion
Miles Shinkwin at York Hall. After 10 hard-fought rounds there was a split verdict, with Phil Edwards seeing it 97-94 for Shinkwin but Ian John-lewis and Marcus Mcdonnell both scoring 96-94 for the challenger. As the variance in the scoring suggested, many rounds were very close, with both giving everything. I thought Garvey had just about got there, having overcome Shinkwin’s better start, but I wouldn’t have argued if it had gone the other way. There definitely should be a return – not through any controversy over the result, but because it was such a splendid fight.
Shinkwin made the early running, coming forward and connecting in close. Garvey landed some neat counters but didn’t start to make an impression until the fourth, when he pressured Shinkwin to the ropes and landed a combination to the head. Shinkwin was forced to the strands in the fifth, too, but got away and started targeting the body, though a cut appeared on his left eyebrow. The wound would re-open several times.
Referee Mark Lyson warned both for headwork at the start of the seventh, but it was generally clean, though hard-fought. Garvey opened up to have Shinkwin on the ropes again, and holding on. When Shinkwin attacked in the eighth he was met with counters. By the ninth there was a swelling high above Shinkwin’s right eye, and when the champion attacked, Garvey hit back. Garvey was pressured back but countered grimly. Shinkwin made a big effort in the last, but it wasn’t enough.
Londoner Mo Gharib avenged his sole defeat, taking a six-round verdict over Hereford’s Dean Evans, referee Mcdonnell scoring 59-56. In November, Evans shocked Gharib here by flooring him twice en route to a four-round decision, but he never looked like doing it again. Gharib outworked his man in most rounds, landed some solid body shots, and staggered Evans in the last with a left hook. But Evans did enough to keep it interesting, often switching to southpaw and consistently trying to pressure.
Southpaw Dean Richardson (South Ruislip) knocked out Croatian Silvije
Kebet in the third of a scheduled six. Kebet was floored in the second by a left to the body, and took the eight-count on one knee. Richardson’s follow-up, ending with a left hook to the chin, had him over again, for ‘six’, and the round ended with Kebet taking stick on the ropes. Richardson came out strongly for the third to have Kebet covering up in a neutral corner, and finally he went down again, from a right to the body. Referee Mcdonnell counted him out after 2-26.
William Webber (Chelmsford) halted Bulgaria’s Ivo Krastev in the third of a slated four. Southpaw Webber dominated throughout, and Krastev was constantly under pressure. In the third, two body punches had Krastev grabbing for safety, and with the visitor taking punishment and throwing nothing back, referee Jeff Hinds waved it off after 53 seconds. After 26 bouts, Bognor Regis’ Callum
Ide is still seeking his first win, but I thought he was a tad unlucky to drop the four-round verdict to debutant Jack Owen. Mr Mcdonnell scored it 39-38. Ide made use of his long reach to score at distance, but Owen kept coming forward, and he well won the last round, getting inside and landing with both hands. Mark Little (Romford) earned a sixround win over Jan Hrazdira (Czech Republic), who put up a decent show but was generally outworked. Referee John-lewis scored it 59-55. In other sixes on this Goodwin promotion, Tom Ansell (Hitchin) beat Wigston’s Michael Williams by 59-55 (Hinds) and Jerome Campbell (Kingsbury) defeated Stockport’s Jamie Quinn by 58-56 ( Johnlewis). In fours, Mr Hinds had Hitchin’s
Graham Tirrell beating Lydney’s Lewis van Poetsch by 39-38, and handed 40-36 verdicts to debutant Ish O’connor over Warminster’s Paul Cummings and Hammersmith’s Paul Greenidge over Bulgarian Borislav Zankov.
Mr John-lewis scored a 38-38 draw for Sheffield’s Serge Ambomo and Chadwell Heath’s Robert Asagba, and had Canterbury’s Neil Parry defeating Hyde’s
Dale Arrowsmith by 39-37. Meanwhile, Kieran Leinster (Teddington) was cut below the right eye but took referee Mcdonnell’s 40-36 verdict over Bulgaria’s Konstantin Alexandrov.
THE VERDICT The crowd-pleasing main event should go on again.