Boxing News Boxing News
Another successful evening at King’s Hall on Saturday saw encouraging results posted by all the participating Impact stabled boxers.
 Making his debut in the paid ranks Burslem’s tall light-heavyweight Justin ‘Ritchie’ Jones looked a touch unfortunate to be awarded just a share of the spoils against fellow first timer Richard Collins of Dudley. Referee Terry O’Connor scoring the six rounder 57-57.
 The well toned former Welsh ABA champion appeared the more aggressive fighter in the opening couple of rounds, scoring with regular right hooks to the head and by the mid-way point Collins seemed to be losing his appetite for the fight.
 Justin remained busy enough to take the 4th but after words of encouragement from his corner at the end of the session his Dudley opponent showed signs of improvement in the following round, finding the target with a decent right uppercut and a pair of left hooks to the head.
 He ended the bout circling his taller opponent but was still caught by a couple of rights from former Welsh Guard. Jones looked to have done enough to edge the round and also the bout.
 Tunstall welterweight Jimmy Doherty once again sent his supporters home happy after registering a wide 60-55 six round victory over Swansea journeyman Chris Brophy.
 Taking it steadily and using his jab to good effect Jimmy opened up an early lead. The Welshman did reply occasionally, with lefts to the body, but Doherty was never overly troubled and by the half-way stage he was starting to raise the tempo a little.
 Annoyed at having taken a flurry upstairs Brophy was warned to be careful with his head by referee Mr Messer. The Swansea boxer, who has another fight pencilled in at Newport next weekend, did raise his game somewhat in the last, working to the body to earn a share of the round but Jimmy ended with a solid right to the head and he was well worth his victory.
 Stoke’s Danny Johnston edged a middleweight six rounder against Warley veteran Howard Clarke by 59-58 but needed to work through a sticky patch early in the 3rd when having shipped a heavy left hook to the body he looked a little uncomfortable.
 Clarke though, was unable to offer anything by way of a follow-up and Danny, who had entered the ring to the strains of Delilah, was free to gradually pick up the pace to eke out a victory by the narrowest of margins.
 This was far from Johnston’s best performance but still goes down in the record books as a victory – against a former world title challenger too.
 Chester light-welterweight Chris Goodwin had opened proceedings and deservedly picked up his first paid victory by registering a shut-out 60-54 win to see off Nuneaton’s Kristian Laight. The Red haired fighter switched stance regularly to bamboozle southpaw Laight who for long periods threw little of consequence by way of reply.
 Laight was forced to spend an increasing amount of time backed to the ropes as the contest went on and there were no complaints at the score-line handed down by referee Mr Messer.
 Fight of the night was the welterweight six rounder between Newark’s Andrew Alan Lowe and Oldham’s big swinging Barry Downs. Lowe emerged victorious by 59-56 but was pressed throughout by the Oldham fighter who whaled away with huge hooks in an attempt to swing things his way.
 Lowe however, avoided much of what came his way and his busier more accurate work was having the desired effect. It was only in the closing stages that Down’s, still firing away with massive bombs began to enjoy a modicum of success and Lowe was forced to cover under pressure in a neutral corner on a couple of occasions. His efforts though proved in vain and Lowe’s early work was enough to see him home relatively unscathed.
 The nights closing six rounder saw St Helens fighter Gary Davies pick up a 59-57 victory over tough Dewsbury based Syrian Abdul Mghrbel.
 The taller Davies had to do some chasing in the opener as the fleet footed Mghrbel danced around the ring but by the mid-way point he had assumed the upper hand, cutting off the ring regularly to punish Mghrbel against the ropes.
 Abdul never looked in trouble though and Davies’s punches seemed to bounce off his head. The Syrian came back into things with a salvo to the head in the 3rd round but he quickly found himself back on the ropes defending as Davies regained control.
 The pattern remained the same right up to the final bell, with the tough little Mghrbel replying under fire out of a crouch and he deserved the pat on the back from Central Area and British Masters champion Davies who improves his record to 5-2-1.
