VALENTÍN’S DAY
Phillip Sharkey sees an exciting collision atop the bill
PROMOTER Tony Pill’s second event at the Woodside Leisure Centre in Watford drew a sizeable crowd and was topped by an exciting six-rounder between two unbeaten knockout specialists. It was won by Slovakian, Adrián Valentín.
A meaty right uppercut in round two dumped cruiserweight Anees Taj on the canvas and from then on it was bombs away with the bloodied local on the wrong end of Lee Every’s 58-55 verdict.
Tall Northampton southpaw Carl Fail
had seen two potential opponents fall by the wayside so had to be content with a four-round points victory over outclassed
Ivica Gogosevic. The Croatian found himself decked twice in the second and did well to hang on until the final bell, when Mr Every’s 40-34 tab went against him. Fail again showed he’s one to watch.
Another with a bright future is Luton’s
Tysie Gallagher. Terrific footwork, balance and boxing skill saw her comprehensively outscore Slovakian centurian Claudia Ferenczi. Trainee Sean Mcevoy refereed, with Mr Every scoring 60-54 from outside the ropes.
The same officials handed 40-36 victories to well-supported Luton featherweight Frankie Storey (over Russian Viktor Vezhlivtsev) and firsttimer Brandon Lewis (over winless Croatian Stanko Jermelic).
Mr Mcavoy accepted Bulgarian Petar Aleksandrov’s retirement when he didn’t emerge for round three of his bout with Londoner, Olly Duffy. The visitor complained that a butt had caused a cut above his right eye but Duffy had already proved his superiority.
The same arbiter called a halt in the dying seconds of the fourth and final round as Moldova’s Romanian-born
Aurel Ignat grabbed win number two. Estonian Gennadi Stserbin was stopped on his feet, shipping punishment from both hands.
Mr Every oversaw yet more one-sided affairs: London based Serbian Slavisa Gegic took a 60-54 decision over Russian Alexey Tukhtarov and, in a fourrounder, heavyweight Harry Armstrong
(London) drubbed Estonian Mait Metsis
to win by, you guessed it, 40-36.
THE VERDICT A knockout specialist and a top prospect in action.