Mchale storm

Elvis lover Mchale punishes Jackson, writes Allen Payne from ringside

“IF you are looking for trouble, you came to the right place…” sounded through the packed Radisson Blu hall as Matt Mchale entered the ring for the main event in his allwhite Elvis inspired ringwear. His opponent,

Stephen Jackson, may have wished he’d gone to a different place on Thursday night with the punishment he endured in the following 18 minutes of boxing.

The Edinburgh boxer had no time for conversation, only action, as he shot out at the opening bell to unleash a relentless assault on his opponent. He retained that blistering pace, mixing his combinations and shots to the body at every opportunity, leaving the Englishman in trouble. A well-placed hook to the ribs at the end of the fifth appeared to hurt the brave journeyman, but the bell saved him. The Lancashire battler didn’t go down or give up and Kevin Mcintyre delivered his final call for the night, a landslide 60-54 win for the Commonwealth Games bronze medallist.

Ryan Carlin’s nature inspired his ‘The Quiet Man’ nickname, however his huge support certainly cranked up the noise to compensate. The Motherwell boxer was hoping to let his hands do the talking, however the almost comical size difference and awkward style of his Birmingham opponent, Reiss Taylor, made that tricky. Carlin was patient, picking his shots nicely to secure a 40-37 point’s win.

Despite not fighting for over a year, there were no signs of ring rust as Callen Mcaulay faced off against Mykhailo Sovtus. The Ukrainian often provides a decent test for prospects but the Paisley boxer controlled the contest without any trouble. The Scottish southpaw displayed fantastic movement, delivering neck-bending shots but the hardheaded opponent would see the final bell and Callen picked up the shutout victory.