Ringside Boxing Report: Rob Norton vs. David Dolan II
© Jane Warburton / Saddo Boxing
On Friday night at the Altrincham Leisure Centre in Cheshire, England, Hatton Promotions hosted a ten card bill which headline two title fights and a title eliminator.
Rob Norton (Stourbridge) v David Dolan (Sunderland)
British and Commonwealth Cruiserweight Titles
Norton and Dolan met in February last year when Norton won the vacant Commonwealth title by Unanimous Points Decision. This second meeting with Dolan would be his third defence of the British Title.
The bell sounds and straightaway Referee Howard Foster takes time to warn Norton for hanging on to the waist of his opponent (and this is in the first 15 seconds of the fight!) It’s messy – and mid-way through this first round, Referee Foster calls both men together to tell them to clean it up. Fighting resumes and Dolan drives forward as Norton throws an uppercut. It’s been a brawling first round.
Dolan lands a decent left hook to the face of Dolan at the start of round two but the grappling continues and Referee Foster is kept ‘busy’ (!) Dolan is caught a few times by Norton’s left counter-punches.
First minute of round three and Norton hooks with a right to the side of Dolans head and both men end up in a tangle on the canvas. In the closing minute, Norton is backed in the corner as Dolan tries to land a punch. But Norton looks to be ‘playing’ with his opponent. He bobs and sways to get away from Dolans punches – clearly not hurt, ‘Come on’ he taunts Dolan. Referee Foster asks him if he’s ok and he continues bobbing saying ‘No, I’m alright’.
So far, Sky Sports Statistics show that both men have had 1 25% success rate but Dolan has thrown 48 punches as opposed to Norton’s 12.
Round six and Norton lands a good uppercut but is warned for holding down and hitting. So far, it’s been a counter-punching brawl of a contest, Norton countering with the left and throwing in the uppercut and Dolan lunging forward landing rights. But it continues to be a messy fight with much of the action on the ropes and in the corners – both men smothering each others work.
Round seven and Dolan lunges forward landing on the canvas. It’s a no-knockdown and Norton immediately goes in with a lovely uppercut.
It’s a better round nine for Dolan and Norton is looking a bit tired this round.
By the end of the tenth, Sky Sports stats reveal that Dolan has landed more punches (79 to Norton’s 57) but Norton has the better success rate (25% to Dolans 20%)
Both men know they have to ‘go for it’ in the last round. Dolan keeps driving forward but it’s Norton who lands the decent shots. The fight ends as it began – with both men grappling in the corner!
The contest is declared a draw and Norton retains his belts. 115-114 Dolan; 116-113 Norton; 114-114 draw.
Norton improves to 32 wins (19 by KO) 4 losses ( 1 by KO) and 2 draws, while Dolan drops to 13 wins (5 by KO) 2 losses and 1 draw.
The second Title fight of the night came between Graeme ‘Dezzie’ Higginson of Blackburn and Martin Gethin (Walsall) as they slugged it out for the Vacant English Lightweight Title.
Both men got off to a steady start but Gethin seemed to pick up the pace after the first couple of rounds looking more comfortable as the fight went on.
Gethin won decisively on points 92-99; 92-99; 92-98 to take the title for a second time. His record now stands at 17 wins (7 by KO) 3 losses (1 by KO) and 1 draw. Higginson drops to 10 wins (3 by KO) 8 losses (3 by KO) and 1 draw.
The eagerly awaited re-match between Paul Samuels of Newport and Cello Renda of Peterborough was – as expected – full of action.
Samuels got off to the better start in this eight round contest. Forcing Renda on the back-foot, Samuels was accurate with his punching. Renda does better in the first half of round two but his nose is bleeding profusely. In the closing minute – a left hook sees him fall back on the canvas.
Renda comes back with fists flying and now Samuels has to take the shots. But Samuels lands three decent uppercuts in a row and Renda has to cover up for the closing seconds of the round.Round three sees Renda land a few decent right hooks but Renda continues to get through the guard of the Peterborough man.
Renda’s face is covered with blood from his injured nose, but he lands a peach of a left to the head of Samuels who drops to the canvas in the first minute of round four. Samuels is hurt moments later by a body-shot and looks in danger of being on the canvas again.
The eighth round sees both men looking tired but still putting in bags of effort right to the bell.
Stats revealed that Renda landed 76 of 350 punches thrown (21% success) as opposed to Samuels’ 79 of 248 (31%).
Samuels wins on points 77-74. His record improves to 21 wins (12 by KO) 7 losses (4 by KO) and 2 draws. Renda drops to 18 wins (11 by KO) 9 losses (5 by KO) and 1 draw.
It looked a fairly close contest between Mark Thompson of Heywood and Kevin McIntyre of Paisley, Scotland, as they battled it out in the British Welterweight Title Eliminator contest.
McIntyre put up a good contest against tattooed Thompson but after numerous warnings – McIntyre was deducted a point in round eight for holding. McIntyre falls to the canvas in the closing seconds of the final round from what looked like a body-shot.
Thompson won by Unanimous Points Decision 97-91; 97-92; 95-93.
Thompson improves to 23 wins (14 by KO) 1 loss (1 by KO) while McIntyre drops to 27 wins (9 by KO) 7 losses (5 by KO).
Other Undercard Results include:
Craig Lyon (St.Helens) v Emiliano Salvini (Italy)
8 x 3 Bantamweight Contest
Lyon wins on points (79-73) and improves to 9 wins (2 by KO) and no losses while Salvini drops to 13 wins (2 by KO) 10 losses (2 by KO) and 1 draw.
Joe Murray (Manchester) v George Mchedlishvili (Georgia)
6 x 3 Super-Bantamweight Contest
Murray wins by fourth round KO and improves to 6 wins (3 by KO) while Mchedlishvili falls to 5 wins 1 loss (1 by KO) and 1 draw.
Stephen Foster (Salford) v Kakhaber Avetisian (Georgia)
6 x 3 Super-Featherweight Contest
A tough contest for Fosters come-back fight but he wins on points 59-56 to improve to 25 wins (16 by KO) 2 losses and 1 draw. Avetisian drops to 13 wins (2 by KO) 10 losses (2 by KO) and 1 draw.
Matty Askin (Blackpool) v Hastings Rasani (Birmingham)
6 x 3 Cruiserweight Contest
Askin wins on points 59-56 His record now stands at 5 wins (2 by KO) and no losses while Rasani drops to 23 wins (16 by KO) 44 losses (19 by KO)and 4 losses.
Kieran Maher (Hattersley) v Johnny Greaves (London)
4 x 3 Light-Welterweight Contest
Maher wins on points 40-36 against experienced Greaves to notch up his third successive win. Greaves’record now stands at 2 wins (1 by KO) 43 losses (7 by KO).
James Barker (Manchester) v Anthony Hanna (Birmingham)
4 x 3 Super-Bantamweight Contest
Barker wins on points 39-38 against veteran Hanna. Barker improves to 1 win and 1 draw while Hanna drops to 22 wins (8 by KO) 95 losses (4 by KO) and 8 draws.