Ringside Boxing Report: Rendall Munroe vs. Salem Bouaita

Click for larger image © Jane Warburton / Saddo Boxing

It was a lively crowd that attended the Harvey Hadden Leisure Centre in Nottingham, England last night. A ‘sea’ of fluorescent green work-jackets awaited the arrival of “Boxing Bin-Man” Rendall Munroe in a Frank Maloney promoted ‘One Night Only’ fight-night.

This was to be ‘TwoTone’ Munroe’s first defence of his European Super Bantamweight title against Frenchman Salem Bouaita.

Bouaita – having gone the distance against Spanish boxer Kiko Martinez, the man Munroe beat for the European crown – was going to be no ‘walkover’ for Munroe.

The opening round saw a very ‘open’ Bouaita throwing long-reaching shots and ‘wild’ punches. Munroe kept concentrated and although he also takes some shots from the Frenchman – he looks the sharper, more polished of the two.

Bouaita looks a very sloppy, awkward, fighter against Munroe, but continues to smile through round two! Munroe looks frustrated as he goes back to his corner the end of round four.

A messy fight and it wasn’t certain how the three European judges would ‘see it’.

“Rendall Munroe…Rendall Mun-roe…” the fans chant – clad in their reflective gillets! But Bouaita has brought some fans with him and they cheer their support.

Mid-way through round five and Munroe picks up the pace – putting Bouaita under pressure in the corner and moments later the visitor is pinned in to the opposite corner under a barrage of punches from the Englishman.

Round six and the Frenchman – gloves dropped low – spends much of the round ‘dancing around the ring’ trying to avoid Munroe!

In the last 20 seconds of the frame, a left punch to the chin of the Frenchman sends him stumbling off-balance. Before the round is out, Munroe sustains a small cut to the top of the head.

Round seven and Bouaita is taking a number of shots from Munroe and he looks very unsteady by the end of the frame. As both men go to their corners, Team Bouaita signals to the referee that they are pulling their man out of the contest with an injured arm.

Rendall Munroe retains his European Super Bantamweight title for the first time and improves to 15-1 (7) while Salem Bouaita drops to 19-13 (6).

Afterwards, talking to Sky Presenters – promoter Frank Maloney spoke of his annoyance at the ‘quality’ of the mandatory European challenger, Bouaita.

Click for larger image © Jane Warburton / Saddo Boxing