Ringside Boxing Report: Albert Sosnowski vs. Danny Williams

© Jane Warburton / Saddo Boxing

Saturday night at the famous York Hall, in Bethnal Green, London, Hennessy Promotions hosted a fight night which would headline the heavyweight clash between Danny Williams, of Brixton, London, and Albert Sosnowski of Brentwood, Essex.

British Champion Williams was scheduled to meet John McDermott in a rematch but McDermott pulled out with an injury a few weeks ago. Now Williams faced last-minute substitute, the Polish-born Sosnowski aka “The Dragon” in a non-title contest.

Round one gets off to a good start with Sosnowski looking surprisingly “nifty” for a heavyweight. Williams – the slower of the two – takes time to size-up his opponent. But keen to impress, Williams throws a big left rather too enthusiastically and it causes him to spin around on the spot.

In the first half minute of round two, Williams lands an uppercut and Sosnowski feels it. Backed up on the ropes, Williams increases the pressure and the Polish man hangs on. Williams is warned for punching back of head and the fight continues. The referee calls time while he reprimands Sosnowski’s cornerman who, despite warnings, has continued to shout instruction to his charge in Polish.

In the closing seconds of the frame, Sosnowski lands a good right – bang on the nose of Williams, followed by another, but – although Williams smarts from it – he ploughs on.

In the opening minute of round four, Sosnowski lands a good right to the face of Williams who – in return – unleashes a number of shots but his opponent forces him back over the ropes until Williams is bent backwards way over the ropes, above the ringside photographers, with Sosnowski’s hand in Williams,s face shoving him further over the ropes.

Referee Richie Davies pulls the Polish man off Williams. “If you do that again – I’ll throw you out!” shouts Davies to Sosnowski. A solid left jab from Williams jolts back the head of Sosnowski, who returns with a flurry of shots again, forcing Williams back on the ropes.

It’s a good round five for Williams but he looks a bit “fed-up” in round six and there’s a bit of blood around his mouth.

Round seven and Sosnowski stops momentarily, gesturing to the referee that his body guard has broken and is slipping off his waist. Richie Davies informs Sosnowski’s corner and fighting continues. In the closing minute – Williams lands a body-punch which sends the Polish man stumbling backwards but the Brixton man doesn’t follow it up.

With just 12 seconds of the eighth round gone, Sosnowski lands a great sweeping left hook to the chin of Williams and the British Champion falls to the canvas. He gets up to beat the count and Sosnowski goes after him. Williams – still looking dazed – manages to stand-up to his opponent but as he tries to throw a punch his arms look like they weigh heavy and Williams hangs on.

Sosnowski lands an uppercut and Williams throws a lack-lustre punch, looking tired and dazed. Sosnowski goes for him – landing a left, right and left to the face of Williams, who is stumbling backwards and referee Davies jumps in to stop the fight with 1 minute 50 seconds remaining.

Sosnowski gets big applause from the crowds having won by TKO round eight. His record now stands at 44-2 (27).

Ex-WBC Champion Junior Witter of Bradford faced Victor Hugo Castro of Argentina in a 10 round light-welterweight contest.

Witter was fighting for the first time since his title defeat to Timothy Bradley in May this year and was looking for a good win against Argentinian Castro – a boxer who is rarely seen outside of his native country.

Personally, I was relieved not to see any of the Ingle camp trademark “fencing-style” moves that Witter normally adopts in his fights and so I found him to be much more “watchable” against Castro.

The Argentinian kept his gloves up high in defence of Witter’s head shots, but it left gaps both sides of his torso which Witter easily found. In fact, it was the body-shots that resulted in a quick exit by Castro.

In the closing twenty seconds of round two, Witter delivers a great left hook to the body of Castro and the South American went down to his knee – his face grimacing from the blow. He gets up at the end of the count just as the bell sounds the end of round two.

Witter keeps up the pressure in round three and with a minute gone, Castro is on the canvas again from a head punch. Reluctantly, he gets to his feet but does not look like he wants to go on and referee Mark Green stops the contest.

Witter wins by third round TKO – his record now standing at 37-2-2 (22).

Afterward, Witter insisted he would be Champion again before the end of 2009. Both he and his promoter Mick Hennessy said they would want a re-match with Bradley and would be prepared to fight him in America or anywhere else! Hennessy also said there was a European title fight or a final eliminator for the WBC title to go at.

Other results included:

Lenny Daws (Morden) v Jay Morris (Newport, Isle of Wight)
6 Round Light-Welterweight Contest
Daws won on points over late substitute – Morris.

Lee Purdy (Colchester) v Adam Kelly (Sheffield)
6 Round Light-Welterweight Contest
Kelly didn’t look his usual form against Lee “Lights Out” Purdy and Dominic Ingle was clearly frustrated with his performance.
Purdy won by TKO round 5

Kevin O’Hara (Belfast) v Robin Deakin (Crawley)
6 Round Featherweight Contest
O’Hara wins by TKO Round 1 over late substitute – “Rockin” Robin.

Steve O’Meara (Wembley) v JJ Bird (Peterborough)
4 Round Light-Middleweight Contest
O’Meara wins on points

Gareth Couch (High Wycombe) v Shaun Walton (Telford)
6 Round Light-Welterweight Contest
Couch wins by TKO round one over “Slasher” Walton.

Dwayne Lewis (Canning Town) v Dean Walker (Sheffield)
4 Round Super-Middleweight Contest
“Night Nurse” Lewis won by round one TKO over “Dynamo” Dean