Calzaghe Breaks Hand During Win Over Ashira

Lacy Bout Now in Jeopardy

Sports Network put on a stellar show in Cardiff, Wales tonight as WBO Super Middleweight Champion Joe Calzaghe gutted it out through an early injury and outpointed challenger Evans Ashira by wide margins. The southpaw broke his left hand on the top of the African’s head in the third round and had to settle for largely jabbing with his right as he cruised to victory. This unfortunate fracture has all but cancelled the Welshman’s proposed November 5th clash with IBF Champion Jeff Lacy and the American’s promoter Gary Shaw is reportedly seething. For Calzaghe this bout was to be his coming out party before millions of viewers on terrestrial tv company ITV and the man from Newbridge is doubly disappointed as the hand injury wrecked his showing and his hotly anticipated date with Lacy. There was some other good action on the card as lightweight phenom Amir Khan continued to impress with a four round drubbing over Baz Carey and local hero Gary Lockett stopped Allan Gray and light middle Tony Doherty pulled out a close one over Taz Jones.

Calzaghe had his man on the verge of a stoppage before he injured his power hand as the Kenyan Ashira was clearly outclassed. Even with the champion suffering the disadvantage of having a mitt out of action, the challenger proved unable to solve the problems presented by Calzaghe’s footwork, defense and quick jab. Afterwards Calzaghe’s promoter Frank Warren told the press that it was highly unlikely his fighter would be able to take part in the proposed bout with Lacy in November and suggested that early 2006 would be far more likely.

Sports Network’s bright young hope, 2004 Olympic hero Amir Khan won his second pro bout on the undercard. Opponent Baz Carey avoided the fate of Khan’s debut opponent David Bailey, who was knocked by the teenaged wonder, by shelling up and simply looking to survive. Despite Khan’s efforts to display his skill at throwing every known punch and combination, Carey just kept absorbing punishment and withstood a clearly concerted effort by the Bolton boy wonder to knock him out.

A former hot prospect at light middle, Gary Lockett regained some of his prior form as he leveled the normally durable veteran Allan Gray within two swift rounds. Competing at middleweight, Lockett was in control from the first bell and found the mark in the second frame when a series of brutal right hands sent Gray crashing to the canvas. The journeyman was in no state to continue as Lockett was declared the winner.

At welter, prospect Tony Doherty took the vacant Celtic title from hard luck fellow Welshman Taz Jones. The crowd was very unhappy with the decision as Doherty looked to be out of his depth for a good part of the contest. By the latter stages of the bout, the youngster had sorted out how to keep Jones off of him and finally began to show his superior boxing skills, capturing the decision of the referee by a four round margin.