Click for larger image © Jane Warburton / Saddo Boxing
Friday The 13th, Unlucky For Carl Johanneson
Last night at the Metrodome in Barnsley, England, Frank Maloney Promotions presented “The Ultimate Quest for Revenge” which saw Carl Johanneson challenge Armenian Leva Kirakosyan for the European Super Featherweight Title.
Reigning European Champ Kirakosyan entered the ring to the sounds of the Armenian National anthem while Carl Johanneson entered the ring to Gabrielle’s song “Don’t say that it’s over.’
Round one and straight away the Armenian lands a couple of bodyshots with Johanneson wincing under the power of Kirakosyan. Carl knows how strong Leva is, having lost to him in less than two minutes when they met in 2004.
Now Johanneson looks very tentative as he concentrates on defending. I’m sat leaning into the ring as a photographer and can actually feel the power of Kirakosyan’s shots as they land into Johanneson’s body.
Johanneson tries to settle down in to the fight and chips away with the jab while covering up tight.
Round two and Johanneson looks like he’s starting to settle in a bit. But Kirakosyan is landing various punches: over-the-top right followed by uppercuts, then bodyshots and they are all powerful blows.
Johanneson looks like he is so focused on keeping a tight defense, that when he does throw a jab, it looks half-hearted.
With 35 seconds of the second round to go, Johanneson looks bewildered by the variety of shots coming his way and he holds on to Kirakosyan momentarily.
In the closing seconds of the frame, a solid left uppercut sends Johanneson toppling across the canvas. I didn’t think he’d get up from that as he looked completely dazed while hanging on to the ropes.
“Take the count” shouted Brendan Ingle, knowing that the bell signalling the end of the round was seconds away. Listening to his corner, Johanneson stands up
on the 8th count and the bell rings. Literally – “Saved by the bell’ – Johanneson sits down heavily in his corner.
In the first 20 seconds of round three, Johanneson is sent down again by a swinging right from Kirakosyan, but he springs back up immediately. The French referee administers the count while Johanneson stands. Looking to his corner, Johanneson hears Brendan Ingle again instruct him to take the count.
Still looking wobbly, Johanneson takes a barrage of shots from Kirakosyan and his legs buckle 2 or 3 times. It looks like the fight will be stopped, he surely can’t survive another onslaught from the tough Armenian.
Amazingly, Johanneson stays on his feet, continuing to take punishment from his opponent. The crowd cheer as Johanneson lands a right hand but with 20 seconds of the round to go, Johanneson is knocked down from a right hand.
It’s close to the end of the round again so he takes the count. Somehow, he manages to survive the last few seconds and zig-zags back to his corner.
Round four and Johanneson battles on despite getting caught by almost every shot that Kirakosyan throws. “Use the jab, Use the jab…” shouts Johannesons’
corner but this fight has been all about survival.
With a minute and 16 seconds of the round to go, Kirakosyan lands another powerful right uppercut and Johanneson falls heavily to the canvas. The referee waves his arms in the air to signal the fight is over as Johanneson lies exhausted on the canvas.
It’s a worrying time as paramedics give Johanneson oxygen and a concerned Frank Maloney looks on.
Afterwards, promoter Frank Maloney said that “Carl Johanneson is a great British/domestic fighter but that maybe he doesn’t have enough to “step up to the next plate’. I think, tonight, he got a little bit exposed…but we’ll sit down and talk and re-group”.
Click for larger image © Jane Warburton / Saddo Boxing
Also on the bill, lightweight John “Fireball” Fewkes, 15-0 (2), of Sheffield squared off with Bulgaria’s former European Super Feather Champ, Tontcho Tontchev, 37-6 (21), in a thrilling eight round contest won by Fewkes 78-74.
Middleweight Patrick J Maxwell, 13-2-1 (10), also of Sheffield, faced Geard Ajetovic, 14-1 (7), of Prescott by way of Serbia, in a rematch of the draw they produced back in April. This time Ajetovic pulls clear and stops Maxwell in the third frame.
Super feather southpaw Rendall “2-Tone” Munroe, 12-1 (5), of Leicester, crushed Welshman Dai Davies, 5-7-1 (0), via an emphatic fifth round KO.
Featherweight Akaash Bhatia, 7-0 (2), of Harrow sees his stock continue to rise as the 24 year old stops Walsall journeyman Steve Gethin, 10-32-2 (6), in the fifth round.
Light Heavy Rod Anderton, 8-2-1 (3), of Nottingham outboxed Sheffield’s Carl Wild over four rounds to win on points 40-37.
Light welter Gary Sykes, 5-0 (2), of Dewsbury kept his record perfect by knocking out hapless Latvian Dennis Sirjatovs, 0-12 (0), of Sutton-in-Ashfield in the second round.
Super bantam Danny Wallace, 11-4-1 (6), of Leeds clashed with Sheffield’s Dwayne Hill, 6-3 (1), who lost the fight when he retired in the third frame of a scheduled six rounder.
Bantamweight Ross “The Boss” Burkinshaw, 2-0 (2), also of Sheffield, went at it with Bulgaria’s Lorden Vasilev, 2-3 (0), and knocked the Balkan visitor out in the third round.
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