Derry Matthews v Matthew Marsh - WBU Featherweight Title RBR - Cancelled

Well, first off let me welcome you back to the Friday night boxing RBR's out of Britain, and tonight's bout is coming from the north east, where Isaac Ward makes the first defence of his Commonwealth belt that he won in January. Here's the tale of the tape as I see it.

Isaac Ward (15-1-2, 2KOs) would probably have been surprised himself to claim the second KO victory of his career in winning the Commonwealth belt against journeyman Tanzanian Miyeyusha, with a nice body shot. However, most of his career victories have come against even less illustrious opponents, and the only real quality, British-title level fighter he has faced, Martin Power, blew him out with an 8 round KO. Power himself is not the greatest of punchers, so it is difficult to judge how good Ward's chin is, but he is the home fighter and will no doubt be boosted by his home fans.

William Hill odds put him as the 4/6 favourite.

Anyetei Laryea (16-3, 7KOs) seems to have a slightly better pedigree than Ward's last victim, Miyeyusha, having previously challenged Nicky Cook in 2003, but hasn't fought outside of Africa since, which always makes it difficult to judge his recent form which saw him last beat a debutant in a 3rd round KO nearly a year ago.

His odds are at 11/10, but who knows what this fight will bring.

Transmission starts at 10pm uk time and 5pm EST, with the fight likely to start some 10 or 15 minutes later.

Elsewhere on the bill we also have Rendall Munroe (12-1, 5KOs) challenges Marc Callaghan (19-11-1, 4KOs) for the English Super Bantam title.

:coolclick: in another 24.

Consider this baby pinned to the top. ;)

This looks a bit of a pony fight for Friday fight night. Didn't even make the Prediction comp.

Next week is Johanneson-Gomez though 8)

Hey Wacko, are you gonna do the Diaz vs. Diaz fight?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fenster

This looks a bit of a pony fight for Friday fight night. Didn't even make the Prediction comp.

Next week is Johanneson-Gomez though 8)

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It's not the best bill that Sky have ever put together to be honest, but I imagine that there'll be a passionate home crowd up there backing Ward.

Also, I'm hoping to follow this up with the Derry Matthews v Matthew Marsh bill tomorrow night on Setanta. Depends how drunk I'll be after the day of sport.

Scotch rocks, check.
Beer, check.
Laptop, check.
50" new plasma tv, check.

The British RBR is back. Laryea looking confident on the ringwalk, byt Wardgetting a very good welcome on his home turf. Still not sure how this one will go, but Laryea looking very confident indeed.

Next up its fight time.

Round 1:

Laryea oipens with a few lefts to the body, both orthodox fighters. Straight right from Laryea, but Ward lands a left hook of his own. Laryea looking to dominate, with hard rights coming in. Ward throwing a few jabs. Nice left to the body from Ward, but Laryea lands a couple of body shots. Flurry of body hooks rom Ward, but Laryea covering quite well. Left to the body from Ward, and he's now coming forward a lot more, Laryea landing a body shot on the counter. Jabs from Ward, and Laryea looking to throw long body shots. Fluury from Laryea well taken from Ward.

Fairly exciting first round, but both fighters giving as good as they got in my book.

10-10

Round 2:

Cagey oipening but then they trade big flurries, with Laryea throwing to the body, and Ward going to the head, and neither looking to block, fantastic stuff. Ward trades jabs with Laryea, as the crowd get behind "Argie" ward. Ward ducks under a swing with a left hook of his own. Laryea countering well. Body shot from Laryea and a left hook returned by ward. Jabs from Laryea. Ward comes forward, and gets two body shots for his trouble. Big shot from Ward, but takes two in return. Hard uppercut narrowly misses for Laryea. A body shot looks to stray low.

Laryea with the better shots, and volume.

20-19 for the Ghanaian.

Round 3:

Decent fight so far, plenty of attacking and not too much defence. Body shot from Ward, but Laryea with a left hook, and a body shot, and Ward ties him up. Body shots from Laryea, and Ward is in trouble. Uppercut left and a right from Laryea, and Ward will need to weather this storm. He's hanging on in there, and Laryea is throwing big body shots. Ward bleeding badly from the nose. More hard right hooks and left to the body. Straight right and a body shot, and Ward is floored for an 8 count. Laryea coming in with big shots, body shots and an uppercut, and Ward is looking to throw hooks, but looks in dire straits. More bod shots from Laryea, but Laryea looks to have punched himself out for now, they both hang on. Jab and two straights from Laryea.

Ward in huge bother here.

30-27 for Laryea, and Ward needs to raise his game a lot to get back in this.

Round 4: Ward comes out punching, but Laryea's body shots continue to come in. Ward ducking low and countering. Good right and left hook, and as Laryea comes forward Ward looks in bother. Laryea with three or four unanswered hooks as Ward ducks in. Ward is warned for putting a headbutt in, and as they come in, a left hook lands from Ward. Another body shot, and Ward is down again. Ward's face looks battered. LAryea with a left hook, but Ward throws another hook, and a reasonable straight right, but he's being destroyed. Another body shot doubles Ward over. It can only be a matter of time. Ward clinches, but takes another few hooks to the head, and another devastating body blow. This is painful to watch, the ref should do him a favour.

40-35 Laryea.

Ward's corner pull him out of the fight, but he showed a whole bundle of character and bravery, but was purely outgunned and outboxed.

CC Rhun, sounded like a quicky, but a goodie.

Isaac Ward said: "I did have a few problems and didn't get enough sparring, but I'm not going to make any excuses. He hit me with some very good body shots and it took it out of me."

ANyetei Laryea said: Lots of stuff i didn't understand and: "I hoped I could challenge for this title, and I am glad that Isaac Ward became champion."

Marc Callaghen v Rendall Munroe.

Riund 1:

callaghan with some decent flurries, but munroe throwing some good body shots, and then starts drilling hard shots to the head. Callaghan comes out with a few more upperhooks, but Munroe is throwing good straight shots and short digging hooks, and Callaghan looks troubled. Body shots amd hooks upstairs. Callaghand guarding up on the ropes, and returns one body shot for the five or six he received. The guard is taking a few, but Munroe is dominating. Body shots, and a straight left. Big uppercut, and Callaghen is hanging on.

Munroe 10-9, easy for him so far.

Rouynd 2:

Jab then three body shot flurry from Munroe. Callaghan leads with a jab to the body, but is returned by body shots from Munroe. Swinging hooks crack Callaghans head. Munroe's jab working well, and three more body shots as Callaghan covers up. Brief flurry of hooks, and Munroe returns more body shots. Good counter left hook from Callaghan. Body shots from Callaghan, and Munroe comes back with a good flurry of his own. Callaghan with a flurry of light arm punches. Good body shot tjhen uppercut from Callaghan, but Munroe is landing his hard body shots, and a good left hook to the side of the head. Callaghan clings again.

Munroe takes his second.

20-18

Round 3:

Munroe opens well with jabs, body shots and two hooks upstairs. Callaghan looking as ineffective as ever, with Munroe delivering a mix of hard body shots and uppercuts. Callaghan backs off, and Munroe rests a little. Then again, there's two body shots, and a straight to the head. Callaghan returns a few body shots, and misses and uppercut. Munroe is bullying Callaghan, pushing him around and Callaghan throwing little more than arm punches with little zing in them. Callaghan cut under his eye, although Munroe still concentrating on the body shots. Good right uppercut from Munroe, but Callaghan not too troubled by it. Good jab then left hook from Munroe. Callaghan ducks, but takes a hard right hook to the face.

Munroe is 1/4 way to his English title.
30-27