Ringside Boxing Report: John O’Donnell vs. Craig Watson
© Jane Warburton / Saddo Boxing
Last night at the York Hall in Bethnal Green, London, Hennessy Sports hosted a fight night headlined by Manchester boxer Craig ‘The Hammer’ Watson’s defence of the Commonwealth Welterweight title against John O’Donnell of Shepherds Bush.
Watson hadn’t fought since his impressive win over Mathew Hatton at the Manchester City Stadium 11 months ago and with a change of promoter – it would be interesting to see how he looked against O’Donnell, who boasted a 20 win and 1 loss record.
Watson looked confident as he waited to fight and as the bell rang to signal the first round, he almost runs across to O’Donnell – launching himself at his opponent as if he’d was ready to explode into action!
It was a fast and furious start to the fight with Watson looking like a ‘man-possessed’ as he lunges at O’Donnell, throwing whatever he can! But O’Donnell does get through with some shots – Watson sustaining a graze below the left eye already.
Round two sees Watson lands a peach of an uppercut, but O’Donnell is starting to settle in and both men ’calm down’ as they suss each other out.
Watson lunges in again, trying to land a big right as they begin round three. O’Donnell lands a round-house left to the temple of Watson, who ’shakes’ it off in the opening minute of the round.
Watson talks continually to O’Donnell as they slug it out and in the closing seconds, he digs in a couple of body-shots.
Promoter Mick Hennessy spends most of the fight standing by the ropes – shouting at O’Donnell to work. In the closing seconds of round four, Watson lands another big southpaw left to the body and O’Donnell ‘feels it’.
There’s a big exchange of shots from both men in the last half-minute of round five. Watson is backed up on the ropes as O’Donnell launches his first ‘real’ attack.
Round six sees O’Donnell land a big straight left to the face of Watson in the closing minute of the frame – but Watson takes it well. Forcing Watson against the ropes – O’Donnell puts on the pressure. Watson tucks in tight then ‘finishes’ the exchange with an over-the-top left and ‘whoops’ with an air of ‘how about that one?’
It’s a more confident John O’Donnell that comes out for the seventh round. Watson has a habit of walking away with his back to his opponent, but O’Donnell doesn’t seize the opportunity.
Stronger Watson ‘barges’ through O’Donnell, forcing him back across the ring before O’Donnell puts Watson in the corner, landing a body-shot before offloading a barrage of shots which sees Watson almost sat in the ropes and lucky not to touch the canvas.
Shaking his head – Watson unloads a big over-the-top left and again backs O’Donnell against the ropes.
The start of round eight sees both men trade positions in the corner. Watson ‘jumps out’ and waggles his tongue at O’Donnell – as if to say ‘that was nothing’. Watson throws the right and southpaw – O’Donnell counters with the right. Watson ’whoops’ out loud again as O’Donnell misses his target.
Round ten and Watson spends much of it ‘walking away’ from O’Donnell – who again – doesn’t take the opportunity to go after him.
Watson lands a couple of sweet uppercuts in the penultimate round and – dipping quickly – avoids O’Donnell’s punches. Hennessy is on his feet again – imploring O’Donnell, “Come On, John!â€
All around the York Hall the crowd clap their appreciation at the end of round eleven.
Both men are tired as they come out for the twelfth and final round. O’Donnell pressures Watson on the ropes mid-way through the frame, sinking in a couple of good body-shots. But seconds later, Watson lands a good left hook to the head of O’Donnell.
O’Donnell wins by split decision on scores of 115-114, 113-116 and 115-114 and is the new Commonwealth Welterweight Champion.
O’Donnell’s record now stands at 21-1 (9).
The undercard at York Hall was full of competitive bouts.
Lenny Daws (Morden) vs. Peter McDonagh (Bermondsey)
Ten rounds for the English Light Welterweight title
Irish Lightweight Champ McDonagh started out like a house on fire and hammered ex-British titlist Daws at will with flush right hands in an all-out attempt to KO the Morden man.
But Daws somehow weathered the storm and took over the contest after McDonagh was spent from his effort over the early rounds. Using a disciplined and balanced attack upstairs and down, Daws won nearly every round after the second frame but ate hard shots from McDonagh often once the Bermondsey brawler regained his wind.
“Lightening” Lenny Daws wins the English title on points, 97-94, improving to 19-1-1 (7).
Tyson Fury (Manchester) v Mathew Ellis (Blackpool)
6 round heavyweight contest
Manchester ‘giant’ Tyson Fury hardly had time to break a sweat last night when he ‘blitzed’ Blackpool man Mathew Ellis in a matter of seconds. Right from the bell – Fury whipped out the left jab continually to the forehead of Ellis, then landed a right to the temple which sees Ellis’s knees dip.
Fury keeps up the punches with Ellis not having thrown anything. Backed in to the corner – a left and right to the head of the Blackpool man sees him drop to the canvas after just 18 seconds. He takes the count but a big right and left from Fury sends Ellis crashing to the canvas again and he doesn’t make the count.
Fury wins by KO at 48 seconds of round one, improving to 5-0 (5).
Steve O’Meara (West Drayton) v Lewis Byrne (Cambridge)
6 round light middleweight contest
There was huge support for the popular O’Meara and the West Drayton man proved too much for Byrne, who took a lot of punches to the head, sustaining a swollen eye. Byrne was retired by his corner at the end of round one.
O’Meara’s record now stands at 7-0 (2).
Del Rogers (Kettering) v Mariusz Bacek (Slovak Republic)
4 round super featherweight contest
Debutant Rogers notched up his first win on points.
Stephen Haughian (Belfast) v Drew Campbell (Colchester)
6 round welterweight contest
Haughian ‘felt’ one ‘notable’ left shot from Campbell, but the Colchester man was made to suffer for it! Pressured on the ropes to take what seemed too long a barrage of shots, Campbell was stopped inside the first round.
Haughian wins by first round stoppage. His record now stands at 18-1 (8).