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© Jane Warburton / Saddo Boxing
Last night at the Aston Sports Centre in Birmingham, England, Matchroom Sports and First Team Promotions hosted a fight night headlined by the cruiserweight clash between Rob Norton of Stourbridge and David Dolan of Sunderland.
This will be Norton’s first defence of the British Cruiserweight title after defeating Mickey Steeds in October. Dolan suffered his first defeat last time out, when he went out to Martin Rogan in the final of the Prizefighter ‘The Heavyweights’ last year.
Norton, with the awkward southpaw style, stands with his usual open-armed stance as he faces Dolan in the first round. Dolan edges forward to nick a shot but wobbles slightly as Norton catches him with the right. Norton looks like a man-possessed with eyes glaring at his opponent. Dolan tries a shot and Norton shakes his head with a look of ‘What was that?’
Norton watches for Dolan to throw a shot, exposing his face so that Norton can nip in with a punch. Norton lands a big left and immediately, Dolan returns with a right and both men end up in a tussle. Norton is warned for holding as the bell sounds the end of an exciting round one.
In the first minute of the second round, Norton is warned twice by referee Dave Parris for holding. In the final minute, Dolan gets through with a good right hand and both men end up in a clinch. Norton is warned again as the bell ends the round.
At the end of every round, Dolan walks toward the wrong corner and each time, Norton speaks to him as he walks back.
A smiling Rob Norton starts round four by throwing a clubbing right hand as he opens his arms wide to ’welcome’ Dolan in. But seconds later, a big right from Dolan sends the Champion to the canvas!
Getting up for the count, Norton smiles and shakes his head – acknowledging to Dolan that it was a good shot. With renewed confidence, Dolan goes after Norton, landing another right as he backs the Stourbridge man into the corner. The Northern fans are on their feet cheering Dolan on.
Both men land with big shots mid-way through the round and Norton is still getting warnings from referee Parris. Norton – still looking intense – lands with a big swinging left to the face of Dolan, who releases a right punch at the same time but Norton lands first. “Keep pushing that jab out,” shouts Dolan’s corner.
In the closing seconds of the frame, Norton goes at Dolan with a couple of hefty shots but Dolan – backed in to the corner – produces a cracking straight right which lands to the chin of Norton, who goes down heavily on the canvas. Norton takes the count as the bell signals the end of the round, but he looks shocked by the punch.
Round five sees Dolan throwing a flurry of shots, but Norton shakes his head as if to say ‘that was nothing’. Norton tries a big swinging uppercut in round six, which just misses it’s target. Norton lands a clubbing right mid-way through the round and Dolan is almost shoved to the canvas, which despite his protests, earns him a counting by the referee.
In the closing seconds, Dolan lands a left and Norton opens his arms wide with a look of ’is that all you’ve got? Come and get me! as he leans back on the ropes. But Dolan – seeing his chance – lands a swinging right and as the bell sounds the end of the round, Norton has a hand on the ropes to steady himself and referee Parris reprimands him for it.
The start of round seven sees Dolan go after Norton, but it’s a close frame with both men scoring shots. Norton ‘eyeballs’ Dolan as the bell ends the round again and referee Parris points his finger in disapproval.
Both men are ‘cagey’ as they face each other in the eighth, seeming to look for the big shot. But as the bell ends the frame, Dolan lands a right which just seems to brush the side of Norton’s face and he topples backwards to the canvas – more off-balance than anything, and Norton is furious to be counted by referee Parris.
Mid-way through the eleventh, Norton throws a big left but it lands on the shoulder of Dolan, who falls back on to the ropes and canvas. Shaking his head as he is counted, Dolan is not happy.
Both men are fired up as they come out for the twelfth and final round. Norton sustains a cut to the right brow area mid-way through the frame but both men continue to look for the big defining punch.
Rob Norton retains his British Cruiserweight title and gains the vacant Commonwealth belt by unanimous points decision by scores of 114-111, 116-109 and 115-110.
Afterward, Norton told Sky Presenter Ed Robinson that he felt his fitness prevailed and would consider a re-match with Dolan at some time in the future.
