DEVLIN SHOCKS IRAN

Seamus get his first win – and it’s well-deserved, writes Simon Euan-smith from ringside

SEAMUS DEVLIN broke his duck and took a shock six-rounds points win over Hove-based Iranian Navid Iran at the Circus Tavern.

It was a triumph for Devlin [ pictured] after 19 straights losses (all on points). I always rated him above the normal “serial loser,” content to do the rounds and stay out of trouble. To me Devlin always seemed to be trying to win – and he started strongly this time, landing lefts to the body and generally finding the target more in the first. Iran started working the jab in the second but Devlin hit back – though he was trapped on the ropes in the closing stages. The third saw Devlin moving well and picking his shots, though again he was under pressure at the end.

Iran came into it more in the second half, landing solid lefts, and Devlin was under some pressure in the last. But he rightly took referee Kieran Mccann’s 58-56 verdict. Both have remarkable records – Iran suffered his first loss in 2011, then scored one win in 2014 and two last year, while it was Devlin’s 20th bout in seven months.

There was a mild upset when Angelo

Antonio, a Portuguese based in Ipswich, was held to a four-round draw by Nottingham first-timer Jordan Bradley.

Styles blended well – Antonio’s fast hands against Bradley’s southpaw aggression – but Antonio seemed to getting on top in the third, landing solidly to the body. Bradley looked in some distress in the interval, and the doctor called for a “time out” at the start of the last, for an examination. But he let it go on, and Bradley’s big last-round effort earned him the 38-38 draw from referee Chas Coakley.

Sole quick winner was popular debutant Ernie Rutherford (Sidcup), who KO’D Slovakian Csaba Bolcskei

in the second of a scheduled four. The ending was sudden. Bolcskei went down, apparently in delayed reaction, and took referee Mccann’s count on all fours. The bell rang during the count, and the official time was 3-06.

Southpaw Deion Jumah (Chelsea) made it 14 straight wins by clearly outscoring Namibian Willbeforce Shihepo in a rather messy four, referee Mccann scoring 40-36. Rochester’s Gideon Onyeni (alias Gideon Jonas) outpointed Spain-based Nicaraguan Berman Sanchez over six, referee Coakley scoring 60-54.

In fours, Mr Mccann scored for Balraj Singh (Seven Kings) over Spainbased Mexican Fernando Valencia

by 39-37 and Luton’s Nicola Barke

over Poland’s Bojana Libiszewska

by 40-36 (four-twos); and Mr Coakley scored for Harrow’s Lorenzo Grasso over Whetstone’s George Rogers by 39-37 and for Piotr Mirga ( Westcliff-on Sea via Poland) over Cristian Narvaez

( Venice via Nicaragua) by 40-36.

Victor Smith Promotions promoted in association with Scott Calow for Boxing Connected.

THE VERDICT Good- value show with a couple of upsets.