RUST REMOVAL
Udofia wins clearly on ring return, writes Daniel Herbert from ringside
TEN months after losing a split decision to Denzel Bentley for the British middleweight title, Linus Udofia returned to action with a six-rounder on the Goodwin Boxing show at York Hall.
Scaling 2lbs over the super-middle limit, Luton’s Udofia shed some rust and pleased his fans as he outpointed reliable Robbie
Chapman (Chalk Farm) 59-55 for the evening’s referee Kieran Mccann.
Chapman scooted around the ring and landed some jabs, although his biggest success was a left hook in the fourth – perhaps the round Mccann gave him. But Udofia’s left-hand work, in the form of jabs and hooks, kept him in firm control.
Another super-middle six saw Dunmow southpaw William Webber given a decent fight by Pavol Garaj while landing enough left crosses to hold off the ambitious Slovakian 58-56 for Mr Mccann.
Fight of the night, indeed one of the best prelims seen for a long while, was the lightheavyweight four-rounder that matched unbeatens in Timon Douglin and Rob Parry.
Reading’s Douglin looked set for an early night when he dropped Parry twice in the opening minute – first from a right, then from a left hook. But Parry (Manchester) battled back to sting rampaging Douglin a few times and even survive being hurt badly in the closing seconds to hear the final bell, where Douglin triumphed 40-34.
Swindon’s experienced Phil Williams spoiled the debut of Darren Sealy by outhustling the huge Croydon man in a heavyweight four. Sealy didn’t get going until the last, and lost 39-37. Two other fours produced 40-36 wins for
Albano Junior Speshal and Mike Murphy.
Luton super-lightweight Albano was rocked by a left hook late in round two but otherwise used fast hands to outscore gritty Kasey
Bradnum (Harwich), while Grays middleweight Murphy jabbed his way to victory over Manchester’s evasive Josh Cook.