Ringside Boxing Report: Amir Khan – Vitali Martynov & Young Muttley – Michael Jennings
 Click for larger image © Jane Warburton Saddo Boxing |
Top British promoters Sports Network moved into the Midlands City of Nottingham on Saturday, putting on a shared bill featuring British Welterweight Champion Michael Jennings defending against the unheralded Young Muttley (aka Lee Woodley) and former Olympic hero Amir Khan taking on the more experienced Vitali Martynov. Jennings and Muttley put on a startling display of heart with the West Bromwich |
challenger coming out on top in a shocker but it was Khan that lit up the arena with a riveting 75 second, first round clanging of the completely outgunned Belarussian import Martynov. But those weren’t the only cracking fights on the card…
Opening the show, Leicester light middle Martin Conception came into his bout with Worksop based Iranian Manocha Salari on the heels of suffering his first disappointment, a startling second round collapse against journeyman Ivor Bonavic, back in July. The number two turned out to be unlucky once again for Conception as he took a blow in that round from Salari that turned his legs to jelly. Conception stumbled onto the ropes and didn’t look stable when he walked towards the referee but was allowed to continue. Just a few seconds later the third man in the ring stopped the contest amid a barrage of jeers from Conception’s supporters who felt it was a premature stoppage. Salari improves to 3-0-1 (2) while the viability Conception’s career at 11-2 (8) is now in serious doubt.
Ex-British Welterweight Champion David Barnes weighed-in earlier in the day instead of the day before and entered the ring under new trainer, former WBU Middleweight Champion Anthony Farnell. Barnes had moved down a division and was facing former French domestic titlist Fabrice Colombel for a scheduled eight rounds. Things started looking bad for the Frenchman in the second when he was wobbled by a shot from Barnes but was canvassed again in the fourth. Colombel beat the count but was soon under renewed assault, forcing a halt to the action at 1:46 of round four. Barnes sees his record to 18-1-1 (10) while Colombel drops to 20-13-2 (13).
Next up was a contest for the vacant English Featherweight title and Liverpool’s unbeaten Derry Matthews was favoured against Rugely’s Steve Chinnock. The higher quality of Matthew’s work became apparent by the second with Chinnock surviving a mini onslaught at the end of the frame, somehow remaining on his feet. Matthews continued to build his lead until after the sixth when the Chinnock could no longer continue due to a shoulder injury. Matthews wins the English crown and goes to 15-0 (9). Chinnock descends to 10-4 (2).
Popular Welsh traveler Tony Doherty met steel chinned centurion Ernie Smith at welter and
got some rounds under his belt, sweeping every round on the referee’s card. Doherty was the busier man throughout but when fighting among the audience broke out in the stands, both men were distracted by the commotion halfway through round four.
Then it was time for the first co-main event, Michael Jennings’ British Welter title defense against Young Muttley. The Chorley based champion came into the bout unbeaten in twenty eight professional outings but was coming off a difficult encounter with Welshman Bradley Pryce last October in which he had to climb off the floor to claim victory. Again there were many scuffles amongst the crowd during this bout and in the second round the champion took his first big shot from Muttley, which caught him cleanly but not hard enough to knock him down. Jennings took a further few clean punches during the remainder of the second and then again in the third. He looked a little better in the fourth while the sixth was busy for both boxers. Jennings keep the pressure up until the last few rounds when he then seemed to back off the throttle a bit. After a full twelve rounds in which both Muttley and Jennings had their moments, the ringside judges favoured Muttley’s more powerful efforts to the higher work rate of the champion. It was a split decision to Young Muttley, who at 20-1 (11) becomes the new Welterweight Champion of Britain while
a crestfallen Jennings absorbs his first loss and stands at 28-1 (13).
Manchester light middle Matthew Hall was up next and banged out the taller local man, Jon Foster, at 1:29 of the third. The 21 year old Hall, known as “El Torrito”, improves to 13-0 (7)
while Nottingham’s Foster falls to 7-7-1 (4).
The last bout was a showpiece for Bolton’s budding superstar, Amir Khan. Just 19 years old, the former Olympic Silver Medallist has become, along with Joe Calzaghe and Scott Harrison, one of Sports Network’s primary areas of focus after just a handful of professional fights. The lightning fast teenager wasted no time in displaying why so many fans in Britain have turned their attention his way, dismantling the eleven fight veteran Vitali Martynov with a surgical efficiency. Khan ripped off an array of startling combinations that caught his fellow combatant in full surprise, right hands that drove the Belarussian to the canvas and soon it was all over before many in the stands could comprehend what had just taken place. Amir The Conqueror had come to Nottingham and left a wake of wreckage in his path. This magnificent boxer’s next appearance, scheduled for the undercard of the coming Danny Williams – Matt Skelton superfight on 25 February at London’s ExCel Arena, is not one to be missed as the Northerner just keeps improving with every contest.
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