Glenrothes remembers Cumbria's victims and Archie McKay
The Stevie McGuire Snr promotion in the Gilvenbank Hotel in Glenrothes last night, Friday the 4th of June, was packed to the gunwhales for his three-bout show, and to a man/woman showed dignified silence during the traditional ten bells for one of their own (Archie McKay) of Forgewood ABC, and in a suitable touch, the victims of the horrific events in Cumbria.
The show had two debutants to the paid ranks in David Cowan from Anstruther in Fife and Arran McKelvie of Dundee on the bill and both can be pleased with their showing as aspirant professionals.
Opening the show relatively late at circa 10pm was the Fifer on his debut, David Cowan and he was matched against Ryan McNicol from Glasgow who was only making his second appearance in this code. This was an absolute belter of a bout, with Cowan's tight defence sorely needed to keep off the incessant hooks from McNicol. The Glaswegian hardly threw a jab during the six-twos bout, his main weapon of choice being his left hook!
McNicol was fairly agricultural in style, but that takes nothing away from the menace with which he used his armoury. From a personal perspective this was a reprise of the Wale vs Casey semi-final in prizefighter, a boxer against a heavy handed fighter, though in this instance Kenny Pringle gave it to the boxer (Cowan) by a 58-56 margin. It could so easily have been a draw as their styles were diametrically opposite, and it depends on how you like your punches thrown. With panache or with menace. Nonetheless, this would have graced any TV show with it's all action sense of purpose.
Next up was the Dundonian Arran McKelvie, making his debut with of all things a pair of pink shorts with saltire sides. Now if you're going to make your debut in the paid ranks with pink shorts, then you need to back it up with the action. McKelvie did this with some aplomb in the opening two rounds. His punches interspersed with disconcerting grunts for which his opponent Milngavie's Richard Barclay was selectively deaf to!
There is no doubt that McKelvie took the opening two rounds comfortably, but Barclay never wilted under the pressure being exerted on him by the debutant. Indeed he remained remarkably sanguine throughout the bout, listening intently to Kris McAdam's instructions between rounds. The nervous energy being used by McKelvie on his debut had to tell, and from the third round he began to blow a bit, so much so that his grunts evaporated with the energy and it was obvious from the mid-way in the bout that the balance of power had shifted to the Glasgow man and he finished the bout unscathed with no signs of real fatigue. Kenny Pringle scored this a draw 57-57, and I can't in all honesty agree with him! I had it to Barclay by a single point assuming the first two to McKelvie, the third even and the next three to Barclay! Still the records will show it for a draw on your debut so the boy will be happy enough.
The show closed with the likeable Jamie Ambler having motored all the way from Aberystwyth in west Wales to oppose Stevie McGuire Jr in the top of the bill! These two guys have mixed it before and there was genuine respect from each of them for the other when I weighed them in earlier in the day. McGuire was out of the traps like a greyhound after the rabbit with accurate, and exceedingly fast for a light heavyweight, combinations. Ambler though seemed to soak them up sponge like fashion, which in truth was about all he could do since it was one way traffic!
Ambler could have entered the all Wales back-pedalling championships with his movement and won them at a canter, but only because he had to, avoiding the punishing artillery which was being rained on him from the son of the promoter. Ambler did occasionally launch his own forays in attack, however such rare exhibits were brushed aside by the fired up Fifer. Ambler's best work came in round five, but still not enough to get him the points for that salvo as McGuire had the measure of it. The bout drifted a wee bit in the final round as it was obvious that McGuire had won it on a shut-out (60-54 on Kenny Pringle's card) and no-one, not even the affable Welshman, would have argued with the score.
A cracking wee show then, which gave the paying diners value for money as well as their meal. MC Craig Stephen (aka Yogi) did an excellent job as usual, outshining the television spotlighted member of that elite band whose name doesn't escape me, but I choose not to mention it for fear of causing him more embarassment than his appalling performances on television already do.
