No way for JJ - Williams Claims Southern Area Cruiser Strap

JJ Ojuederie failed to capture the vacant Southern Area cruiserweight title on Sunday afternoon when he left it far too late to engage with Streatham’s squat and powerful Leon Williams at the York Hall on a Left Jab promoted card.

 

I first saw JJ on the undercard of the Haye-Gurov show in Bracknell just shy of five years ago. That night and in the intervening time, he had always impressed me with his attitude and fighting heart. He’s fought heavyweights and beaten classy domestic opposition on route to claiming the Southern Area light heavyweight strap.

 

But yesterday, Ojuederie simply didn’t want to engage Williams and he literally tried to stay out of trouble for round after round until his title opportunity had all but passed him by.

 

Williams, 5-2 (2) going in, was very inefficient at cutting off the ring. In saying that, even if you aren’t connecting cleanly and often, you’ll win a fight if you’re opponent isn’t being aggressive or throwing any meaningful leather in your direction.

 

The rounds were predictable and uneventful. Leon couldn’t pin the Watford man down and JJ simply wasn’t prepared to deviate from his flawed “stay out of the firing line” game plan.

 

After being read a screaming riot act in the corner at the end of the ninth, JJ decided to stand his ground more and trade in the last. Sadly, he’s never been a one-punch knockout artist and the fight was well out of reach on the cards. Referee Jeff Hinds scored the affair 99-92 in favour of Williams.

 

Belsize Park’s former super middleweight Toks Owoh returned from a five-year retirement as he outpointed Brummie-based Zimbabwean Hastings Rasani 39-37 over the four round distance.

 

Toks, who had traded punches with world-level operators Omar Sheika and Glen Johnson a boxing lifetime ago, weighed in at 15st 1lb 12oz. Despite this, Owoh showed good hand speed as he scored with fast clean shots in the opener.

 

For his part, Rasani (14st 2lbs) was showing ambition with his uppercut and as usual displayed patience and skill while looking to counter off the ropes. But Toks’ work was cleaner and he rightly took Jeff Hinds’ verdict at the close.

 

Fight of the night was a four-round draw at light-middle between Epsom’s Jimmy Ward and “The Banbury Bull” Peter Vaughan who was making his debut.

 

Ward was clearly a skilled and classy operator who throw his punches in fours and fives with impressive speed. Vaughan was able to use a significant strength advantage once he got in close and rip hooks to both the body and head.

 

Jimmy took the first two sessions on my card with his purposeful repertoire of punches, but he was floored twice by big right hands in the third in which he showed tremendous bravery to survive. Vaughan was penalised a point for use of the head in the same eventful session as the Sunday afternoon crowd at the atmospheric York Hall roared their approval.

 

The fourth round belonged to Vaughan on my card. He overcame Wards’ fast flurries to connect with big right hands and left hooks. By the final minute, Ward’s legs were betraying him as he seemed to be falling into his opponent.

 

However, a draw was a fair result in a cracking fight that neither deserved to lose. It was scored 37-37 on Hinds’ score card.

 

Kilburn’s globetrotter Ashley Theophane outpointed Northern Irishman Willie Thompson over six rounds at light-middle.

 

Thompson, coming off a four-round stoppage defeat to Michael Jennings, had height and reach over the tattooed “Treasure”. However, it was his first fight in 15 months and ultimately Ashley’s extra skill and experience would be the decider in this affair.

 

Thompson came forward and tried to take the fight to the reigning IBO International welterweight champion , but Ashley simply knew too much for the Eamon Magee-trained visitor and was able to both get his punches off quicker and score inside.

 

Theophane was able to connect more and more regularly as the contest continued, but Willie would sneer and force the action in an impressive show of gameness. With the 60-55 decision, Ashley’s journey continues but he needs a fight against a ranked British welter to move his career forward on these shores.

 

In a super-middle four threes, former two-time London Novice titlist Gary Boulden shut out Birmingham debutant Stuart Tordoff.

 

The right hand worked from the off for the bald Boulden. His success was due to a very low left hand on Tordoff’s part, who was trying to let shots go but was leaving himself venerable due to his lacking technique.

 

Boulden’s fast pace took the first two sessions on my tally, but the third was even with both men having their successes. Tordoff dropped the final session in my opinion as Gary worked the more effectively on the inside. Boulden moves to 3-1 (0).  

 

Southpaw Ryan Toms from Northolt scored a six-round repeat win over Daryl Setterfield in a fairly one-sided affair at light middle.

 

Toms’ work was always the shaper of the pair and at 5’10’’ he is able to get plenty of leverage in to his shots. In fairness to Setterfield,  he did play his part in the fight by coming forward and pressing the action.

 

But as the contest continued, he found that he was being countered more and eventually he found himself on the defensive.

 

Over the second half of the contest, Toms had stay alert as Daryl was always looking for his opportunity but the man from Middlesex generally has his foes’ number and was able to score with his faster hands and better mobility. At the final bell, Toms took the shut out verdict and he stays undefeated (6-0 2 inside)

 

Finally, the Jim-Evans trained Adam Battle scored a four-round shut-out verdict from Cassius Connor at Welter.

 

Battle, taking part in only his second paid outing, scored well to the body and mixed in hard hooks from both sides upstairs to take the first two sessions.

 

Most of the action was one-way but Connor did well to hang in there and see out the assignment. Battle moves to 2-0 (0) while Connor slipped to his first defeat in two (one draw).