STIFLING HEAT

Warmth hampers fighters and fans, writes Gareth Jones

CARDIFF

AUGUST 13

★★★✩✩ WHOLE SHOW

EIGHT prospects extended their 100 per cent records on a sweltering night at the Vale Sports Arena. Eight “opponents” added further losses to already long lists.

Yet while the cognoscenti might lament the lack of risk in matchmaking, the paying punters, as ever, seemed perfectly happy with proceedings.

Not that there were as many as promoter Pat Barrett, in his first venture into Wales, would have liked. Holidays, the heat and the fact that many of Ben Crocker’s fanatical Swansea City following were in Blackpool cheering their team, all had an effect on the turnout.

Welter Crocker and Tiryberth middle Kyran Jones each stepped up to six-threes and took their winning runs to half a dozen. Ben looked jaded and Rochdale’s Richard Helm

sneaked the last session to make it 59-55 on ref Chris Jones’s card.

The same official had 60-54 for Jones against workaholic Seamus Devlin, whose every move was choreographed by a stream of instructions from Curtis Gargano, who is becoming the Nobby Nobbs of this era.

The six four-rounders brought two stoppages. Trowbridge feather Callum Lee forced Reece Carter

to rescue outskilled Mohammed Al-warith at 1-21 of the third, while the end of the same stanza saw Hull trier Luke Fash pulled out with a gashed right eyebrow after being decked in the opener by teenage talent Brandon Scott.

Manchester’s winless Josh Cook

did enough to share the third as Llanelli puncher Ethan George won 40-37, while Cardiffian Rashid Omar

prevailed 40-36 in an ill-tempered encounter with aggressive West Bromwich debutant Karlo Wallace.

Mr Carter handled both.

Two Welshmen won their first pro outings on home soil, Port Talbot southpaw Conor Mcintosh

overcoming former victim Rustem Fatkhullin and Swansea’s Josh Kaighin seeing off Cameroon Olympian Christian Donfack Adjoufack. Mr Jones scored both 40-36.