Hughes stops Reid; Young's unbeaten run gone in sixty seconds in Swindon

Middleweight hopeful Marlon Reid suffered a serious setback last night (23^rd April) at the Oasis Leisure Centre in Swindon as Pentrefoelas’ Steffan Hughes floored him in both the first and second sessions before halting him in the fourth.

Hughes, 2-1 (0) going in, found the former ABA finalist too easy to hit with his left hook money punch throughout the contest. Reid boxed from the outset with his left hand in no man’s as he tried to use a loose David Haye type style. There are very few fighters with the reflexes to execute the Haymaker’s flashy hands down posture and those that try often hit a harsh and painful learning curve.

The hook put a more-embarrassed-than-hurt Reid down in the first. However Steffan forced the action and sent the local back to his corner on shaky pegs.

The left hook did the damage for Marlon in the second as again Hughes found landing his punches on a wide-open Reid painfully simple. Reid was floored and hurt badly for the second time as Hughes again piled in and looked for the early finish.

Marlon, now 5-2 (2), did well enough to take a share of the third on my card. He was looking to clear his points deficit via the concussive route and looked to be on his way when a hard right uppercut cracked into Hughes head and brought a reaction in Hughes legs.

However, Marlon’s defensive deficiencies were exploited again in the fourth when a right hand left him sprawled over the ropes in his own corner. Probationary referee Clarke Joslyn dispensed with the count and Reid was finally able to leave the ring under his own steam after receiving oxygen. The time was 1:52.

Former Penhill ABC middleweight Kelvin Young had a night to forget as he was blasted out in sixty seconds by Plymouth’s unheralded Paul Brown in a bout scheduled for four threes.

Brown, with only two wins in seven starts (no draws), ripped Kelvin’s unbeaten record away with a brutal right hand which left his eyes rolling back in his head and body rigid. Referee Jeff Hinds rightfully ignored count so the fallen fighter could receive medical attention.

Trowbridge middleweight Nick Blackwell moved to five unbeaten (one inside) as he outpointed Hounslow-based Lithuanian Tomas Grublys over four three minute rounds.

The Mark Roe-trained Grublys started fast and put the pressure on the Wiltshire fighter. He scored effectively to head and body as he looked to take the play away from the unbeaten 19-year-old. However, Nick boxed well and began to counter his man with well-timed and educated left hands.

Blackwell had Grublys hurt in the second session as he connected with increasingly assertive straight rights and left hooks.

I made the third a two point round for Blackwell. After starting off with some beautiful body work, Nick moved up stairs and scored heavily. Near the close of the stanza, Tomas’ head his getting rocked heavily and repeatedly. Probationary referee looked poised to jump in but was beaten by the bell.

Blackwell took the last clearly on my card as he clipped Tomas often with both hands whilw taking nothing of significance in reply. Blackwell moves to 5-0 (1) and Grublys slips to 4-4 (3) and has now lost four on the trot.

Chris Higgs had to overcome a motivated and spirited challenge from High Wycombe’s Mark McCullogh to emerge victorious in a close encounter over six threes at lightweight.

Higgs, a well-supported and unbeaten 22-year-old from Lydney, looked anxious at the end of the first. He was forced to take some hard body shots and a great right over the top from the visiting fighter.

Higgs recovered to take the second on my card as hooked upstairs and down and was finding angles impressively. Both men were highly competitive in the third. The exchanges were well-balanced and high quality in what was an excellent contest between two good pros.

McCullough had Higgs hurt in the fourth. Although the Gloucestershire fighter tried to rally and fight fire with fire, by the end of the session he was holding and looking to buy time.

The last two sessions were well fought and close. Higgs seemed at times to take the upper hand as McCollough started to fade. At the close, Grant Wallis scored 58-57 to Higgs in a fight that would be worthy of a rematch.

Melksham super-featherweight Liam Richards overcame a third-round knockdown by Trowbridge’s Dan Carr to move his unbeaten record to six.

The first was even, but Richards was looking the stronger by the second as he exhibited some excellent front-foot pressure fighting. Carr was trying and punching often, but his shots lacked power and nothing of any note was landing cleanly.

Richards was caught walking in carelessly in the third and was put down for a count of three. Despite seeming a little over-eager, Richards rose to take the last two sessions and the referees 58-55 point verdict.

Swindon-based Pole Alicja Dabrowska outpointed former English bantamweight title challenger Juliette Winter over six twos at fly.

Alicja boxed on the back foot in the opener as her more experienced opponent came forward but missed frequently. In the second, the pair exchanged hard scoring punches as the bout start to turn into a small hall tear up. Dabrowska had the upper hand with eye-catching right hands that were coming in over the top of Winter’s guard.

Winters got the better of the action in the third. Her long right hit home repeatedly and she started to shed some of the rust from her 17 month lay-off.

Despite having Alicja gassed by the closing rounds, Winter couldn’t counter the point-scoring left hooks and straight right hands that effectively enough to turn the tide.

It was a good win for Dabrowska, who was only having her second paid start (one win).