Small hall scraps alive and well in South Yorkshire
A bumper small hall show on Sunday afternoon saw David Coldwell Promotions offer eight fights to a good humoured South Yorkshire crowd at Rotherham’s Magna Centre.
Discounting Leeds-based 38-fight veteran Lee Murtagh, the seven winners on the card had a cumulative total of twelve bouts between them before the action commenced. Coldwell is trying to build a stable from the roots up and has a few decent looking kids.
Most impressive for me was an 18-year-old debutant from the nearby former pit village of Maltby, Nathan McCann (9st 11lbs).
In the show opener, he beat Stretford’s Damian Turner (10st 1lb) 60-54 with a nicely controlled display; his movement and decision making belied the fact he has no previous amateur experience. He sat Turner down with a short left hook in the second round but was the calmest man in the house as his annoyed opponent got up and threw himself back in the action. No trying to ‘capitalise’ from McCann.
Neither did he panic when Turner appeared to buzz him with a left hook in the third. Resuming orthodox off the back foot, a left hook to the body forced Turner to take a knee just before the bell though referee Mike Alexander decided not to count it. The Manchester man grimaced as he returned to his corner.
Turner kept going and took a share of the last. The unfortunate lad is yet to get off the mark and is now 0-9. Keep an eye on McCann.
Relative veterans Lee Murtagh (now 27-11-1) and Sheffield’s Dean Walker (now 12-23-3) squared off next. Walker, having not fought for almost two years, was back to see what he had left. There was plenty but it was mainly heart, guts and blood; he fell to a 59-55 decision on Howard Foster’s card. Murtagh (12st) was slightly lighter than Walker (12st 1lb) but looked much bigger and was in great nick.
It was a good small hall scrap with the pair sharing the opening rounds and then Murtagh just doing more throughout after that. By the end, Walker’s face was well bloodied, causing Mr Foster to change his shirt after the bout.
Barnsley debutant Matthew ‘Buster’ Mallin (11st 3 ¾ lbs) brought a few fans with him to see his contest with late call up from Swansea, Chris Brophy (11st 7 ¼ lbs). They went home happy after Brophy, down from a right hook to the top of the head in the third round, retired after the fourth citing an injured hand. The Welshman had earned his money; Mallin boxed nicely and in the contest’s last round was jarring Brophy’s head back. The loser is now 3-43-3.
The Tyke celebrated as if he’d won a world title and, why not? There’s nothing like a debut.
I seem to remember reporting on the debut of Martin Shaw from Rotherham and if I did, I will certainly have mentioned that he looks about 12. No offence, it’ll serve him well when he’s my age. He’s actually 19.
In his second pro fight, Shaw (9st 13 ¼ lbs) saw off Jason Nesbitt (10st 9lbs) 39-37. Shaw needs to do a lot of work, both physical and technical, if he’s to make any in roads in the toughest game of all.
I’ve seen a canny few of Nesbitt’s 114 losses (to eight wins and two draws) and he could have won more than the odd one. His fight against Shaw was another, though by the time he’d decided to really try, he seemed to have lost the thread. The Brummie opened with two jabs that cracked the youngster’s head back which can’t have instilled anyone with confidence, least of all Nesbitt who rarely likes being at an advantage.
Shaw, when nothing was coming back, picked his punches well and racked up a lot of points, though his punches were short and seemed to have nothing on them. Huddersfield trainer Chris Aston was in his corner and says he does have a bit of power and had a couple of lads over in the ams. I had Shaw 40-37 up.
Rotherham’s Navid ‘Nav’ Mansouri (10st 13 ½ lbs) is building up a small, vocal following. He won his fifth pro fight (no losses) against Bargoed’s Gary Cooper (10st 13 ¾ lbs) by way of a stylish shut out. Every round was the same – Mansouri had too much speed and variety for the Welshman (now 1-7) whereas Cooper was a tough and game fella going nowhere.
If you’ve ever been sad enough to spend time looking at a newspaper’s horse racing section (it took me years to realise why there is one ‘Pay Out’ window and five ‘Bet Here’ windows in your usual bookies), you might know they have a line telling you which horses and jockeys have travelled the furthest distance. The logic is, if they’re going all that way, it must be for a reason.
Enter Dagenham’s Joe Catchpole (10st 10 ½ lbs) who had been brought up from Essex, entourage and a smattering of fans to boot, by promoter Spencer Fearon. Fearon likes the lad (now 3-0) and after watching him batter ancient Karl Taylor (10st 8lbs), it’s easy to see why.
Taylor (now 16-140-7) really needs to pack it in. I don’t say this lightly – he really can’t be doing himself any good. He was born before England won the World Cup and if anyone looks like he’s suffered 44 years of hurt, it’s Taylor.
Young Catchpole messed him around and it took Taylor every trick he’s learned to see the final bell. He was down from a straight left in rounds four and five; in the latter round, Taylor projected his self-disgust at Catchpole by way of a withering stare. The Brummie battler survived to hear the final bell once more. I had it 60-52 whereas Howard Foster thought he’d make a donation to Help the Aged with a tally of 59-54.
Body beautiful Jerome Wilson (10st ½ lb) beat Middlesbrough scrapper Phil Boyle 60-55 on Mike Alexander’s card which was a fair reflection of the Sheffielder’s dominance. Wilson appears to be a spiteful chap, keen to inflict damage when he can, and had to be cajoled by both Coldwell and ringside stablemate Curtis Woodhouse to stick to the jab and box his man. Wilson showed little respect for the efforts of Boyle and seemed keen to do a job on him. Fair play to the Boro lad (now 1-5) – he dug in and kept trying to the end.
Woodhouse – the hand injury which prevented him boxing Frankie Gavin on Saturday night’s Birmingham bill now healed – says Wilson is very impressive in the gym. He’s made a good start, anyway, and moves to 3-0.
Top of the bill was Barnsley brawler Neil Beevers (10st 10 ½ lbs) whose 58-54 win over Atherton’s William Warburton was cheered to the rafters. It was a scrap and that’s that. Never mind the quality, feel the lumps.
It was a frantic start from both men, who shared the opening two rounds. Beevers, showing all the subtlety of a Rock ‘em Sock ‘em robot, dropped Warburton with a right hook in the third, though the visitor looked partly off-balance. Warburton was down again in the next session but Beevers got carried away and whacked the defenceless chap when he was down. No knockdown was called but you don’t get away with that with Mr Foster and a point was taken straight off. Had Warburton wanted to make a meal of it, Beevers would have been in bother.
Both men went at it, but Beevers was more determined and deserved the win.
Plenty of grit, some wit and no bullshit. That’s small hall boxing for you, South Yorkshire style.
