Boxing News Boxing News
Olivia Goodwin has made the historic announcement that her first professional boxing event, “Search And Destroy”, is set to take place at York Hall in Bethnal Green, London on Saturday 4th June 2011.
What makes this such an historic moment is that Olivia, who is just twenty years old, becomes the UK’s youngest person ever to promote a professional boxing event by a country mile, the youngest previously was some eleven years her senior.
Olivia also joins Jane Couch and Miranda Carter in an elite clique of women that have managed to break into the male dominated pro boxing promoter ranks.
Olivia’s plans for her first event belies her tender years, it’s clear she has excellent negotiating skills and a cool head, as she has secured not one but two title fights to co-headline her maiden show as well as putting together a substantial quality undercard.
The first of the headline bouts features former English title challenger Ryan ‘Mr Attitude’ Barrett undertaking the first defense of the International Masters Lightweight title he spectacularly won, by way of a sensational first round triple knockdown stoppage finish over Mark ‘The
Flash’ Alexander, in September 2010.
Barrett’s opponent, on June 4th, will be former Kenyan Super Featherweight
Champion Geoffrey ‘The Tiger’ Munika.
Co-headlining is former IBF Super Middleweight title challenger Toks Owoh,
who will take on Romford’s unbeaten Tony Conquest for the vacant British
Masters Cruiserweight crown.
One of the UK’s most exciting and talented Super Middleweights of the
nineties and early naughties, Owoh, made his return to the ring late last
year and after two excellent warm up victories is now set to start his
second championship campaign, albeit at Cruiserweight, in earnest.
Throughout the 1990s Owoh established a reputation as one of the toughest
and most talented boxers to emerge on the British scene. One thing you
could guarantee is plenty of excitement when Owoh fought, his no nonsense
all action approach ensured either an early stoppage finish, or if it went
the distance an all action full on war to the final bell.
The pinnacle of his first championship campaign see him face Glenn ‘The
Road Warrior’ Johnson for the coveted IBF Inter-Continental Super
Middleweight title on the 23rd September 2000.
On the other hand this will be Conquest’s first taste of championship
competition. Saying that it will not be his first fight against a
contender, having convincingly beaten Ghanaian Cruiserweight Champion
Prince George Akrong in March this year.
The action packed undercard features some of the best upcoming domestic
and European prospects, each looking to establish themselves as
championship contenders.
Heading up the support for the double headline bouts sees Beckton based
Dutch Cruiserweight prospect Mitchell Balker in action against dangerous
southpaw Hari Myles.
Balker will be looking for his second victory on British soil, following
his superb shut out points victory over Nick ‘The Ox’ Okoth in January.
Balker’s savvy ring craft proved to be too much for ‘The Ox’. Right from
the start he controlled the fight utilising crisp jabs to keep Okoth on
the defensive before moving in to land solid jabs and right hands and then
stepping aside to thwart any return salvos from the heavy handed Okoth.
For four rounds Balker controlled the bout with ease so it was no surprise
that come the final bell the referee declared the Dutchman the winner by a
clear 40-36 points margin.
Another of the TKO Gym’s big boys, London based Iraqi Heavyweight Ali
Adams, will also be taking part on the show.
Coincidentally Adam’s last fight was also against Okoth back in November.
The Heavyweight bout headlined a four fight Dinner Show, held in a
magnificent marquee set up in Coram’s Field in Bloomsbury.
The first round seemed more akin to a hard sparring session rather than an
out and out fight. Round two though was a totally different fight as Okoth
stepped things up and went hard on the offensive.
Adams responded with some good stiff jabs to keep the ever advancing Okoth
at bay. About thirty seconds or so in to the round Okoth tried to rough up
Adams and in doing so left himself open for Adams to throw a big left hook
over the top to send Okoth crashing to the deck and out for the count.
Woolwich’s Crowd pleasing Albanian Super Middleweight Eder Kurti will be
back in action also on the 4th June.
At the Unleash The Fury event at York Hall on March 5th, Kurti received a
rapturous welcome as he made his way to the ring to face Scunthorpe’s Jody
Meikle. The cheers barely subsided the whole bout as Kurti gave a
magnificent display of boxing.
From start to finish Kurti pressured Meikle, letting rip with heavy lefts
and rights to body and head. As early as round two Meikle was already
bearing the scars of battle, with blood pouring from a nasty cut to the
bridge of the nose.
Round three see Kurti set about Meikle with heavy rights to the head and
body. Somehow Miekle managed to survive the constant onslaught, but at a
cost as the cut on his nose had visibly worsened, so much so that the
referee took a long hard look before allowing Meikle to come out for the
fourth.
Kurti was magnificent throughout the final round to earn a 40-37 points
victory.
TKO Boxing Gym’s Nathan Weise makes his welcome return to the ring, after
an eighteen month sabbatical from the sport with a near career ending
shoulder injury.
Weise is a stylish boxer, but don’t think that means pitter patter boxing
as the youngster from Thamesmead packs a serious punch – just ask Lloyd
Smith who not only suffered being dropped by a heavy right hand in the
first but then succumbed to a heavy left hook in the second which sent him
crashing to the canvas – out cold!!!
Kris Agyei-Dua will get his third pro outing, against a yet to be named
opponent at the Search and Destroy event.
Back in March, at Goresbrook Leisure Centre, Agyei-Dua fought like a
seasoned pro. From start to finish Agyei-Dua dominated the proceedings
with some beautiful boxing. He never put a foot wrong, he jabbed with
confidence and was happy to stand and trade when needed.
Byrne is a tough opponent at the best of times but didn’t seem to trouble
Agyei-Dua at any time. Unsurprisingly Agyei-Dua secured his second win by
a shutout 40-36 points margin.
Luton’s Michael ‘The Real Chunky’ Devine is another big hitter on on the
bill. On June 4th Chunky will face Walsall’s highly experienced battler
Steve Gethin
Back in March, after a long layoff following a bad stoppage against Mark
Alexander last year, Chunky returned to the fray against Sid Razak.
Devine was divine, he plain out boxed the resilient Razak throughout.
Razak is no walk over at the best of times but Chunky outclassed him from
start to finish to earn a shutout 40-36 points victory.
Joining his TKO Boxing Gym team mates, Balker, Adams, Weise, O’Callghan
and Standing, on June 4th is MItcham, Surrey’s Danny ‘Cassius’ Connor, who
will face yet another tough test when he comes face to face with former
WBF Intercontinental title challenger James Todd from Swansea.
Minster, Kent’s Dan ‘Woody’ Woodgate gets his third professional outing,
mind you it’s hard to believe that has had only two professional bouts as
his performance at York Hall on March 5th was more in keeping with a
seasoned championship campaigner.
Classy and slick are words that come to mind to describe Woodgate’s
performance against Newark’s Jamie Norkett. From start to finish Dan
dominated proceedings and in the later rounds looked as if he could have
finished the fight at will, having rocked the durable Norkett on various
occasions.
Don’t go thinking Norkett hadn’t come to fight, he had, just Woody was in
a class of his own and rightly deserved the 40-37 point victory. Sure to
have more of the same from Woodgate on June 4th
Making his second pro outing on June the 4th is TKO Gym’s nineteen year
old Brett O’Callaghan .
It will be a full six month’s since O’Callaghan made his professional
debut against the vastly experienced Billy Smith following Gary Cooper
pulling out at the last minute.
Back in December the youngster showed maturity beyond his tender years by
controlling his much older opponent with fast hands and solid jabs. As the
fight moved into to the second half Smith tried to bully O’Callaghan back
onto the ropes without success as the savvy youth used smart footwork and
his solid jabs to keep Smith at bay.
O’Callaghan’s debut justifiably ended with a nice 39-37 points victory in
his favour.
TKO’s Sam Standing will be in action for the second time in just over a
month, having made his pro debut on May 7th against Nuneaton’s highly
experienced Kristian Laight.
Standing received a real baptism of fire, as Laight took the fight to him
big time. Standing, who was forced to fight on the back foot throughout
the bout, kept a cool head and picked off the ever advancing Laight with
stiff jabs and double handed counter attacks. Whilst it was without doubt
Laight putting in the majority of the work, it was Standing that enjoyed
the bulk of success with quality punches landed and rightly earned his
first win, albeit by a very close 39-38 margin.
Also on the show are two fighters making their professional debuts –
Lightweight Marcin Merceck and Middleweight William Cayzer.
Tickets, priced £35 (Standard seated) and £50 (Ringside) for the Search and Destroy event are available on-line now at www.tkoboxoffice.com, call: 07960 850645 or in person at The TKO Boxing Gym, Gillian House, Stephenson Street, Canning Town, London E16 4SA.
