Ringside Boxing Report: Lee Edwards vs. Lee Murtagh
© Jane Warburton / Saddo Boxing
Friday night at the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield, England, Glyn Rhodes hosted a four-contest fight-night, headlined by a ten-round light middleweight contest between local-man Lee “Errol” Edwards and Leeds boxer Lee Murtagh.
This was to be Edwards’s first defence of the British Masters Light Middleweight title he won defeating Alex Mattvienko in September.
Getting big support from the crowd, home-boy ‘Brown Sugar’ Edwards gets off to a good start against southpaw Murtagh. With legs stretched wide – giving him a low stance – Edwards strikes with straight lefts and rights and Murtagh’s right eye starts to swell already in the first round. Rhodes exaggerates the state of the eye – jibing from his corner position!
Murtagh’s nose gushes blood and he does well to keep focussed. In the closing seconds of round four, both men slug it out on the ropes and the crowd are on their feet cheering. It’s a hard fought contest with Murtagh throwing right hooks and Edwards keeping up with the long-reaching straights.
Round six and Rhodes is taunting from his corner “He’s 34, Lee!â€, to which Murtagh replies (while boxing), “I’m 35!†Referee Howard Foster warns Rhodes and Murtagh to cut the talking and boxing continues.
Edwards’s confidence is high in the closing round and he wins on points to improve to 10-1 (1).
Popular light heavyweight, Billy ‘The Peoples Poet’ Boyle, was to have fought Michael Gbenga for the WSO International Light Heavyweight title, but instead faced late substitute, Jevgenijs ‘Lucky’ Andrejevs of Latvia, for a six round contest.
As the fight commenced, I did wonder whether southpaw Andrejevs would get passed the first round, but he seemed to do a bit more by the third frame and starts to goad Boyle, who returns by ‘launching at him’ with some right and left hooks.
Telling trainer Rhodes at the end of the fourth – “I’ve got my second-wind now!†– a grinning Boyle finishes the fight to win on points, 60-54, over a ‘Not-so-Lucky’ Andrejevs!
Boyle improves to 11-0 (7).
Other action on Friday night included the debut of Sheffield’s Jason Carr as he faced Craig Dyer of Swansea, Wales, in a six round light welterweight contest.
A fast-paced fight sees a big effort from Carr in the final round and Dyer on unsteady legs. Carr secures his first pro win on points 58-56.
Carl ‘Born 2 B’ Wild secured the fourth home win of the night when he won on points, 59-55, over Doncaster boxer James Tucker in a six round light heavyweight contest.
The taller Wild slipped through the guard of Tucker, landing some straight rights and lefts and was clearly enjoying the fight affording himself a bit of ‘showboating’.
Wilds’ record now stands at 7-9 (1).