Ringside Boxing Report: Matthew Macklin vs. Amin Asikainen

**With Slideshow**

© Jane Warburton / Saddo Boxing

On Friday night at the Velodrome in Manchester, England, Hatton Promotions hosted their first televised fight-night. Billed as ‘Euro Glory’, the fight-card was headlined by the European title clash between Matthew Macklin and Amin Asikainen.

Matthew Macklin (Birmingham) v Amin Asikainen (Finland)
12 x 3 Vacant European Middleweight Contest

It was a very ‘stiff’ Asikainen that came out to face Macklin. Macklin looks focussed – switching between head and body shots – before landing a huge left hook which lands bang-on the face of the Finnish man and he falls back heavily on the canvas in the first round.

Struggling to get up for the count – Asikainen looks unsteady but continues with the fight. Looking dazed – he tries to get away from Macklin but the Brummie goes after him! Seconds later, Asikainen is almost bundled over and it’s a no-knockdown.

He tries to hold on as Macklin throws whatever he can in the little space between them. Macklin goes after him again, landing shots to the nose and Asikainen falls back against the ropes – legs splayed beneath him.

Getting up for the count – he turns round on the spot as if he doesn’t know where he is. His eyes look glazed but he stands ready to fight for referee Luigi Muratore but it is called off and Macklin springs in to the air in obvious delight!

Mathew Macklin is the new European Middleweight Champion and improves to 25 wins (18 by KO), 2 losses (1 by KO) and no draws.

Asikainen drops to 26 wins (17 by KO), 3 losses (3 by KO) and no draws.

Cello Renda (Peterborough) v Sam Horton (Dudley)
10 x 3 British Middleweight Title Eliminator

Dudley man Horton suffered a second round knockdown from the Peterborough man. Having being down once already in the second round – Horton landed face-down heavily on the canvas after a head-shot. It was an anxious time as medics tended to the young boxer, but he eventually got to his feet and stood for the decision.

Renda wins by KO round two and improves to 18 wins (11 by KO), 7 losses (4 by KO) and 1 draw, while Horton gets his first loss to see his record drop to 13 wins (2 by KO), 1 loss (1 by KO) and no draws.

Graeme Higginson (Blackburn) v Adam Kelly
6 x 3 Lightweight Contest

A close contest between these two boxers sees ‘Dezzie’ Higginson just pipping it on points, 57-56. He improves to 10 wins (3 by KO), 7 losses (3 by KO) and 1 draw while Kelly drops to 9 wins, 7 losses (3 by KO) and 1 draw.

Denton Vassell (Ancoats) v Vasile Surcica (Barcelona)
6 x 3 Welterweight Contest

Vassell wins on points against Romanian-born Surcica. He improves to 12 wins (7 by KO) and no losses while Surcica falls to 13 wins (5 by KO), 29 losses (4 by KO) and 2 draws.

Anthony Crolla (Manchester) v Jon Baguley (Rotherham)
4 x 3 Super Featherweight Contest

‘Million Dollar Crolla’ faced late substitute opponent Baguley for this four round bout. It’s a good contest which sees Crolla win on points, 40-36. His record now stands at 14 wins (5 by KO) and 2 losses. Baguley drops to 8 wins (4 by KO), 15 losses and 1 draw.

Joe Murray (Manchester) v Delroy Spencer (Wolverhampton)
4 x 3 Super Bantamweight Contest

It was a quick night’s work for ‘Genius’ Joe Murray, who dominated over tough and experienced Spencer. Taking a number of heavy shots from the Mancunian – Spencer was stopped by referee Michael Alexander at the end of the first round. A clearly unhappy Spencer, who had been stopped only once over his last 30 appearances, protested to no avail.

Murray gets the first round TKO and improves to 4 wins (1 by KO) and no losses. Spencer drops to 11 wins (1 by KO), 89 losses (11 by KO) and 3 draws.

Andreas Evensen (Norway) v Gianpiero Contestabile (Italy)
8 x 3 Featherweight Contest

Evensen wins by TKO round five and improves to 10 wins (2 by KO), 1 loss and no draws while Contestabile drops to 14 wins (7 by KO) and 2 losses (2 by KO).

Perhaps not as well known as some of the other fighters – the Hatton fight card also featured a number of Northern based boxers previously promoted by Steve Wood of VIP Promotions.

Scott Quigg, Mark Thompson, Martin Murray and Rhys Roberts have been quietly plugging away in the North – notching up some good wins and attracting a decent fan-base. On Friday night – they ‘came into the limelight’ on the Hatton Promoted event.

Scott Quigg (Bury) v Nico Schroeder (Germany)
4 Round Super Featherweight Contest

Scott Quigg got off to a steady start against Nico Schroeder of Germany – concentrating on picking his shots.
Trainer Brian Hughes urges Quigg to “Box him!” as he comes out for the second and just half a minute later – a big sweeping right to the head finds its target and Schroeder goes down.

He takes the count and fighting resumes with Quigg digging in some heavy body-shots. A moment later, a left followed by a hard right to the body of the German – send him to the canvas again. Standing for the count – Schroeder shakes his head at referee Michael Alexander – gesturing that he’s ‘had enough’. The towel lands in the ring from Schroeder’s corner and the fight is stopped in round two.

Scott Quigg wins by TKO round two and improves to 15 wins (9 by KO) and no losses. Schroeder drops to 4 wins (3 by KO), 8 losses (5 by KO) and 1 draw.

Rhys Roberts (Manchester) against Steve Gethin (Walsall)
4 x 3 Super Bantamweight Contest

Roberts is the busier of the two but gets caught with a couple of head shots from experienced Gethin. Both men grapple together in round two. Roberts keeps up the work-rate landing both left and right to the head of Gethin and then going for a body-shot.

Roberts waits for Gethin to throw then lands a solid right in the closing seconds of the second frame – with both men in a tangle, Roberts slips to his knee but it’s a no-knockdown. Roberts is punching accurately – as Sky Sports statistics reveals he has landed 25 of 80 punches thrown (31% success) as opposed to Gethin’s 9 of 51 (17%).

Round three sees both men look a bit ‘twitchy’. Roberts is looking for the counter and Gethin knows it! Gethin sustains a cut to the left brow during this round.

Final fight stats show that Roberts was consistent – landing 43 of 137 punches (31% success) while Gethin landed 15 of 84 (17%)

Roberts wins on points, 40-36, and improves to 8 wins (1 by KO) and no losses while Gethin drops to 11 wins (6 by KO), 49 losses (10 by KO) and 3 draws.

Mark Thompson (Heywood) v Gari Abajian (Georgia)
6 x 3 Welterweight Contest

This was a ‘strange one’! Thompson kept busy throughout – but his opponent threw little. In fact, he was just content to hold his gloves up high then drop them low as if to taunt Thompson, then he’d ‘call him on’, beckoning with his gloved hands as if to say ‘keep the shots coming’.

Thompson keeps focussed, landing a left right to the head followed by a left to the body in the first. A smiling Abajian walks forward – gloves up to his face, stopping to point to his torso as if saying “hit me here”!

Thompson is relentless with the jab and lands some great combinations in round two – but Abajian is virtually throwing nothing! And it starts to look more like punch-bag practice than a contest. By this point – Thompson must be getting frustrated. In the last half minute of round three, referee Phil Edwards calls time while he tells Abajian “You must punch”. Moments later, Thompson’s gumshield is retrieved.

Sky stats reveal that Thompson has landed 67 punches as opposed to a shocking 9 from his opponent!

At the start of round four – Abajian throws a short flurry of shots then goes back to his usual stance of walking forward with gloves up high.

Abajian comes out – still smiling – for the fifth round. Thompson continues to snap out the jab, forcing his glove between Abajian’s high defence before digging in a hook to the body. Abajian waves Thompson in.

Finally – after Thompson has gotten through with a number of shots and Abajian has thrown nothing – referee Edwards decides that is enough and calls a halt to the contest just inside the last minute of round five. Abajian isn’t happy with the decision but still smiles!

Thompson’s record now stands at 21 wins (13 by KO), 1 loss and 1 draw while Abajian drops to 10 wins (1 by KO) and 8 losses (1 by KO).

Martin Murray (St.Helens) v George Aduashvili (Georgia)
6 x 3 Middleweight Contest

Popular St.Helens boxer Murray made short work of his opponent. Aduashvili had already been on the canvas when he took a punishing body-shot just as the bell signalled the end of the first frame.

Referee Phil Edwards administered the count but the Georgian could not get up in time and was counted out. Murray wins by TKO round one and improves to 16 wins (6 by KO) and no losses. Aduashvili drops to 10 wins (6 by KO), 6 losses (3 by KO) and 1 draw.