Ringside Boxing Report: Lee Haskins vs. Andy Bell
© Jane Warburton / Saddo Boxing
On Friday night at the Robin Park Arena, Wigan, England Andy Bell faced Lee Haskins in a British Super Flyweight title contest on a Frank Maloney promoted fight night billed as “The Explosive Thin Men!” Bell was making his first defence of the title he won in March against Stoke’s Chris Edwards.
Bellie, aka “The Iceman”, enters the ring wearing Doncaster colours of red and white alongside trainer Matt Scriven, who is himself a pro boxer. Haskins – fighting out of Chris Sanigar’s gym in Bristol – has won 17 of his 19 contests.
Just inside the first minute of round one, both men land on the floor in a wrestling type move. Little did we know that this would be the first of many wrestling falls thought out this contest.
Haskins has the more open-style of boxing, leaving the upper part of his body exposed and flicking the straight right up his taller opponent’s head. Both men land on the canvas again in a tangled bundling over – but Bell reaches down with both gloves to help his opponent up off the canvas. A messy first round.
The opening half minute of round two sees both men on the canvas again and seconds later they are both down once more! Referee Phil Edwards calls the two boxers together to tell them to clean it up, and the crowd boo its disapproval.
Haskins grabs around Bell’s neck and the two men clash together messily. Haskins jumps in with a lunging right shot then settles to eye up Bell, the Bristol man’s shoulders twitching tauntingly at his opponent.
Round three starts off better, but mid-way through the frame both heads come together and Haskins smarts with pain as Bell’s head hits his nose. Bell lands a shot on Haskins’s nose and it starts to bleed. Bell settles in and has a better round.
Round four and Bell keeps his gloves up high as he stays focussed while Haskins flicks out the straight right. Haskins – with gloves dropped low to his sides – keeps busy against the champion. Bell, with a tight defence, looks calculating as he waits for a gap. Haskins has sustained a cut around the left temple and blood trickles down his face, but he doesn’t look fazed by it.
In the opening seconds of the sixth, Haskin – with an arm round Bell’s waist – swings him over to the canvas and referee Edwards warns the Bristol man again. Bell doesn’t appear bothered by the incident, which is becoming a regular occurrence in this contest, and lands a good right and Haskins flinches momentarily.
Bell is starting to move forward and close the gap now between himself and Haskins, but he looks to be waiting to land a decent shot while watching out for the counter and in doing so isn’t busy enough.
It’s a better round eight for Bell, who ups the work-rate. Blood flows again from the nose of Haskins but he keeps busy. Bell walks Haskins backwards – picking a few shots. The round ends in messy fashion as they grapple in the corner.
Surprisingly, Sky Sports’ statistics indicate that both fighters have landed 42 punches each as they go into the ninth round.
Mid-way through the ninth both men attack, Haskins lands a peach of an uppercut and the two men tossle with each other and once again end up on the canvas.
Mid-way through round ten and Bell is roughed to the canvas again! In the closing seconds of the frame, Haskins lands a right and left and both men fall back on to the canvas.
During the eleventh, Haskins goes in with a right and Bell counters with a right hook which lands but sends the deliverer falling backwards, yes – you’ve guessed it – back on the canvas!
Both men hug as they begin the twelfth and final round. It is a messy end to a messy fight. Both men ending up on the canvas from a bungling over in the closing seconds. But the two fighters again hug each other as the bell ends the contest.
Sky stats show that Haskins threw more punches, 421 to 316, but Bell had the better success rate, 20% to 14%, landing two shots more than Haskins.
Haskins wins by unanimous points decision 116-113,115-114, 116-113 and is the new British Super Flyweight Champion.
There was also a quality undercard on Friday night.
Akaash Bhatia of Harrow faced Marc Callaghan of Dagenham for the vacant British Southern Area Featherweight title. Looking for his 13th win with no losses, Kash the Bash got off to a flying start when he landed a left hook to the temple in the first half minute of round one. Taking the standing eight count, Callaghan continued – keeping a tight defence while he weathered the storm – but Bhatia kept up the pressure.
Callaghan can only cover up while he takes the relentless shots including energy sapping body-punches from an impressive Bhatia. Callaghan barely throws a handful of shots as he keeps a tight defence. In the closing seconds of the second round , a big left hook from Bhatia and Callaghan drops to the canvas. He takes a knee and is counted out. Bhatia wins by second round KO and improves to 13-0 (4) while Callaghan’s record stands at 19-15-1 (4).
Mark Thompson of Heywood, Lancashire, faced Craig Dickson of Glasgow in an eight round welterweight contest. Dickson started off well – landing some good body-shots against tattooed Thompson but the Manchester area man returned the favour in the second half of the round, landing some punishing body-shots on the Glaswegian.
With a minute of the first frame remaining, Thompson lands a great left hook and Dickson is forced to cover up. A clash of heads in the last half minute sees Dickson sustain a cut to the forehead.
Dickson takes a short burst of punches, including a left hook, from Thompson which sends Dickson falling backwards to the canvas just as the bell signals the end of round two. Referee Howard Foster administers the eight-count before both fighters are allowed to go back to their corners.
Thompson offloads a flurry of shots in the opening half minute of round three and Dickson is forced to cover up on the ropes.Round six sees Thompson looking uncomfortable, prodding his corner to shout “You’ve gotta want it, Mark!” and they seem frustrated with their charge.
Mid-way through the seventh round, Thompson backs his opponent up with a number of shots which culminate in right and left shots to the body and Dickson is clearly hurt by them. Finally going to one knee, Dickson gulps in some air as referee Foster administers the count. Thompson comes straight for him and Foster stops the contest just a couple of seconds later.
Thompson wins by TKO and his record now stands at 18-1 (11), while Dickson falls to 15-6-1 (8).
Afterward, promoter Frank Maloney told Sky presenters that they would push him[Thompson] for the British or Commonwealth Title. When Commonwealth Champion and Maloney stablemate Craig Watson was suggested, Mr. Maloney said that Watson already had two fights lined up.
Young Scott Quigg, of Bury, Lancashire, made short work of Ghanaian boxer Sumaila Badu when they met for a scheduled four round super bantamweight contest. A combination of head shots finishing with a right hook in the last half-minute of the first frame saw Badu staggering backwards. A dazed Badu was saved by referee Foster. Quigg wins by TKO in round one and his record now stands at 10-0 (6) and Badu drops to 4-13 (1).
Light middle Thomas McDonagh, 33-1-3 (6), outpointed Michael Monaghan, 17-24 (2), after six rounds and English Super Bantam titlist Mark Moran, 11-0-1 (3), picked up a good win against spoiler Youssef Al Hamidi, 4-12-1 (1), after a six round non-title clash at super feather.
Light heavy Tony Quigley, 12-1 (5), produced a fifth round cuts stoppage of opponent Nathan King, 12-12 (1), who suffered two bad lacerations, including a gaping wound on his right cheek.
Cruiserweight John Lewis Dickinson, 1-0 (0), defeated Paul Bonson, 20-103-8 (1), on points after four rounds as did light welter Karl Place, 2-0 (1), against Carl Allen, 18-73-7 (5).
Bantamweight Paul Edwards, 2-0 (0), posted a four round verdict over Delroy Spencer, 10-75-3 (1), and Peter Jones, 1-0 (0), came away with the win after four against Johnny Greaves, 1-19 (1), at light welter.