Smith wins very close Liverpool derby

Paul Smith once told me, “I’d knock me mother out to win a British title.”  Although disturbing, it would have been a much easier task than dealing with fellow Scouser and British super-middleweight champion, Tony Quigley.  In an often messy but compelling scrap, Smith prevailed by way of a majority points decision which accurately reflected the closeness of the contest.

Smith (12st) nicked a tight opening round on my card right at the end with a couple of eye-catching shots which caught the taller, southpaw Quigley (11st 13 ¼lbs) flush.  ‘Smigga’ looked the more comfortable and fluid, certainly, and this continued into the second where Quigley looked rather awkward in comparison to the smoother, more natural boxer.  But the champion earned a share of the second as he was on the front foot throughout, although the cleaner work came from Smith.

Smith started the third catching the oncoming Quigley with some clean left jabs but a right over the top from Quigley got through and appeared to shake the challenger; in truth he’d ducked low on the ropes to avoid the follow up.  Quigley won the session on pressure alone though.

Early in the fourth, Richie Davies brought the pair together presumably asking them to clean things up though, to be fair, almost all the clinching, headlocks and rabbit punching had been coming from Quigley.  The latter again won a scrappy round, simply on aggression and it was clear Smith had to do something to make an impression.  The better boxer was getting drawn in to a potentially ugly brawl.

He did make an impression in the next by way of a lovely left, right cross combination which set the tone for the round.  Quigley opened up a cut to the side of Smith’s right eye by boring in with his head, rightfully earning a warning from Mr Davies.

The sixth was yet another close round which I just gave to Smith as a result of his slightly cleaner work.  Quigley was switching stances but it was having little positive effect.  The seventh was a slightly – only slightly – clearer session for the challenger but by now it was clear if this bout was to go to the judges with this pattern continuing, the outcome would be anyone’s guess.

I had to give Quigley the eighth and I put it in those rather begrudging terms as although Smith was quite clearly the smoother boxer and the champion responsible for the bout turning ugly, he did land the more effective punches.

Yet again, referee Davies brought the pair together at the start of the ninth to ask them to tidy things up.  It wasn’t long before he was, rightly, at them again, seeming to implore them to put on a show for the home crowd rather than the maul the title fight had become.  Smith lost his way in this session and although he rallied briefly before the bell with a spark of class Quigley simply doesn’t possess, it was definitely a clear round for the champion.

Self-belief was going to be crucial in the outcome of the fight and for some reason, it just looked as if this had gone from Smith.  The less refined Quigley took the tenth round on the front foot, his desire seemingly outstripping that of the tiring challenger.

The eleventh round was visceral entertainment; both men at close quarters but the holding was absent as the pair punched away.  Again, things were even but Smith pulled away with the cleanest work of the contest, either side of a low blow which caused Quigley to understandably take a breather.

The self-belief that had been absent had returned for Smith in the previous round and by the end of the twelfth he was standing and trading, having finally imposed himself on Quigley.  But had he done enough to take the Lonsdale belt he has wanted since he was a nipper?

I scored it 115-114 for Smith but in a match like this, the tolerance is about six points.  ‘Smigga’ was announced as the new champion on a majority verdict, judge Phil Edwards preferring Quigley narrowly, Howard Foster liking Smith and Ian John-Lewis the same by a four point margin (116-112).

Former Grange Hill actor turned boxing MC Mark Burdiss announced loudly about three seconds after the scorecards were read, “And Frank Warren says, there WILL be a rematch!” which I’m sure the Board are pleased to hear.

“I can’t get motivated for kids that I know I can beat,” mused Smith at ringside.  “That wasn’t my best out there, I was lunging in too much.  I’ve got respect for Tony Quigley but didn’t want to say that before – I want him to feel inadequate before the fight.  He was as strong as an ox in there.”

Olympic gold medallist James DeGale impressed as he halted fellow novice Ally Morrison in the third round of their scheduled six-rounder.  Both men entered the ring as unbeaten professionals and both were engaging in their fourth contest.  There the similarities ended – to put it into perspective, Morrison’s last outing was a draw against Carl Wild (8-11-2) in March.

Degale was in charge throughout and landed with a clubbing left hook in the third which stunned Penrith’s Morrison.  The Hammersmith man didn’t let him get away and referee Howard Foster stepped in at the right time.

“I loved it, this is what I do, it’s my job,” beamed a happy DeGale, who dedicated the fight to fellow Beijing medallist, the late Darren Sutherland.  “It’s going to take a better fighter than that to beat me.  I’m learning quick and I’ve sparred some good fighters.  I think I’m settling down fantastic and have made a lot of improvements since my first fight.”

Some people raised their eyebrows when they heard Frankie Gavin (now 4-0) was matched with Steve Saville (now 19-7) but the 24-year-old former world amateur champion handled the 33-year-old with ease, completely dominating him with speed and variety before dropping him in the second session with a right to the body.  He got to his feet but didn’t fancy continuing and Mr Foster waved the contest off.

I hope none of Liverpool light-heavyweight Tony Bellew’s fans had nipped out to the bar prior to their man’s contest against Jindrich Velecky. Bellew stopped his man early in the first round, hurting him straight away with a left hook and then with almost every other shot he threw at him before the Czech (now 16-7) was rescued.

Bellew, who calls himself “a smashing machine” moves to 11-0.

Jamie Cox moved to 13-0 after Ingle-trained tough man Manoo Salari failed to answer the bell for the fourth round.