Ian Napa v Martin Power - British Bantamweight Title RBR - Fri 10pm

[superheavyrhun]

Round 7:

Napa is dominating the centre0ring now, and as Power comes in behind the jabs, Napa is landing body shots. Good straight right then a left hook rocks Napa back well. Napa with his own right hook. They trade body shots on the inside, its scrappy in there, but Power might be landing more. Right hook from OPower, then Napa with a body shot. Power with a hard upperhook landing near the sternum, but Napa digs in, pushes Power back and puts in even more body shots. Power headhunting with some jabs and straight shots, wit maybe one or two landing from 9 or 10. Napa with two big hooks upstairs, but Power digs in with two straight shots of his own.

I think Power's workrate edged him this round.
67-66 to Napa.

[superheavyrhun]

Round 8:

Powerwith some jabs, but Napa with some body shots. Power with a good flurry of hooks, and Napa is shoved back on the ropes. Napa's jab lands as Power's falls short, despite the difference. Straight right from Power. Two right hooks from Napa, then a great uppercut lands on Power, and Napa has the momentum again. Body shot and right hook from Napa, but Power falls short with his jabs again. Left hook from Power, but the pace is slowing here. Flurry of body shots from Power, but one maybe two land. Napa comes out swinging to the body, landing more frequently, then an uppercut, and Napa knows he's just got to keep this up.

Napa's round again. 77-75

[superheavyrhun]

Round 9:

Going into the last third of the fight it's Napa that has the fight to lose at the moment. Keep an eye out Mr No Contest. Power working to the body, then a jab. Napa lands to the body, then backs out away from Power's straight right hand. Napa is now giving the tiring Power the ring centre. Napa with body shots to Power's jab riposte. They swap shots falling short. Napa to the body. Napa with a good right hook, then a one-two to Power's body. Uppercut from Power then a straight right hand. Power is coming forward and throwing more, but Napa is more accurate in punching in bunches.

Not sure on that one, maybe Power's on workrate, but call it a tie on my card.
87-85

[Saddo]

CC shr

[superheavyrhun]

Round 10:

The trainer still encouraging Power to fight in straight lines with the right hand. Power with jabs landing, and Napa falls short. Power digs to the body. Big right hand as Power comes in rocks Power. They clinch and lean on each other. They trade jabns and short hooks in the clinch. Napa gets caught by another two jabs, but not much zip on them. Power is blocking swinging hooks, then lands a jab and right hand. Napa goes back to his money shot with hooks to the body. Power comes back with jabs to push Napa back, and a staight hand. Napa swings to the body, but stumbles back from the force of his own punch. Napa with a good left hand pushing Power back. Napa to the body, but Power's put in a big effort this round. Jab and straight shot from Power, but Napa returns and overhand right.

Power looks shot, but he worked his heart out there.

96-95 Napa

[superheavyrhun]

Round 11:

Napa opens up with some body shots again, but Power comes back with some hooks. Sky have Napa a way ahead, but he's not working enough to make this a cakewalk in my opinion. Napa calling Power in, who obliges with some jabs and hooks upstairs. The Napa guard is working well though, give that to him. Big right hook from Napa, as Power comes in with a jab and straight shots. Power with a huge flurry of effort, body shots and straights upstairs. Looking to pressure Napa, but he's flat-footed and looks exhausted in there. Napa with a good right hand, but Power lands body shots.

Napa's accurate hard punches edge him that one, but i still have it fairly tight, whatever Jim Watt says.

106-104

[superheavyrhun]

Round 12:

Napa looks fresher, falling short with three jabsm, then finding the Power guard with an verhand right. Power is all over him though, with body shots and hooks upstairs with Napa pinned in the corner. Body shots again from Power, then a one-one-two. Fantastic last round as they both trade and throw. Napa with some fantastic hooks, but Power is ploughing into him with straight shots and body shots, and although he ships a straight shot, he's throwing more. Napa is fighting out fo the corner, with two big hooks landing. Napa with an overhand right. Napa gets caught three times in a great flury from Power, and two right hooks back in the centre of the ring. Napa comes back to the body, and Napa's grinning like he knows he's won. He's taking a jab anbd a body shot now, and waves his hand in victory. Napa takes two more shots. Both men hug, and looks like Napa's taken it.

Johnny Eames is hugging is fighter Power, his last round.
115-114 to Napa.

Exciting fight towards the end, and Eames has Power on his shoulders trying to swing the judges. Eames genuinely think Power's got this one.

[superheavyrhun]

Okayscorecards:

117-111, 117-111, 117-112

UD decision, and Ian Napa has retained his title. There are boos around the arena, but Napa was the powerful fighter in this one.

[superheavyrhun]

Ian Napa: "2007 has been great for me, I've been off the straight and narrow a lot but I felt I've proved a point and I've been on the straight now. I feel I've proved I'm the best bantamweight in Britain now. I've always had talent but it was an issue of bringing that through."

Maloney: "That was the best last round of boxing I've ever seen in the British ring, and we will try and get him an european title fight, and who knows maybe even a world title fight.

[leftylee]

115-114 No offence but I give Power 2 rounds at the most Napa outboxed, outclassed, outpunched how can you give Power 6 rounds WTF.

[killersheep]

Did Munyai win on the undercard?

[superheavyrhun]

115-114 No offence but I give Power 2 rounds at the most Napa outboxed, outclassed, outpunched how can you give Power 6 rounds WTF.

Basically, Napa was doing his usual thing of rolling the shoulders, and his guard tends to deflect punches on to the left side of his head and for a lot of it, Power's punches were getting through, although not with much power, whilst Napa was falling short with a fair few of his punches, and fighting in spurts.

[leftylee]

Napa landed 150 and Power landed 87. Did you see the replays as Sky were waiting for the decision, he caught Power clean and flush and Power had nothing to give and was getting outgunned in every department, the last round was magnificant though scrapping in the corner.

Napa was landing body shots all night long.

[No Contest]

Heh seems like a nice little scrap, cc again for the rbr.

[BubbleBox]

Napa is a domestic level boxer at best. Maloney is talking about Euro title, but Napa can't make the step up from domestic to Euro or Worlds.

Props to him tho...good win last night!