Speight Tops Van Emmenis in Torquay

Keith Mayo’s latest promotion at Torquay’s Riviera ICC last Saturday (March 6th) saw Kingsteignton’s Jamie Speight score a razor-thin repeat win over Bideford’s John Van Emmenis over six rounds at super-feather.

Speight, unbeaten in five paid starts, was all action in the opener and threw lots of leather. His work wasn’t always effective but he set a fast pace as he looked to repeat last October’s victory over his 28-year-old opponent.

You could make a case for either fighter in the closely-contested second round. Jamie was delivering the better volume of shots, but Van Emmenis was hurting the 21-year-old visibly with punches to the body.

Despite coming forward on the front foot in the third, Speight wasn’t looking comfortable. John’s punches to the midriff were clearly taking the jam out of Jamie’s doughnut and now right hands were also ramming the point home.

There was fantastic derby atmosphere in the hall as the fighters went toe-to-toe in the fourth. Van Emmenis was working hard but Jamie caught a lot of the shots in defensive mode before firing back with his own spirited attack.

I gave the fifth to Van Emmenis as Jamie took his foot off the gas. The pair produced a grandstand finish amidst deafening roars in the last. The volume was reminiscent of the sounds that echoed around the South West boxing scene when Scott Dann was packing the Pavillions in Plymouth.   

At the final bell, Swindon referee Grant Wallis scored the bout 58-57 in favour of Speight. Van Emmenis falls to a misleading 1-11-1 (0).

Paignton’s 22-year-old Liam Power outpointed Walsall’s Joel Ryan over six rounds at light middle in a battle of two young unbeaten fighters. Ryan, 19 years old and 2-0 going in, is former ABA semi-finalist and Power made a successful debut against Gareth Heard in Trowbridge last November.

Ryan scored well with his right hand to take the opener on my card but then was outworked by the busier Power in the second.

Power scored with a hard left hook at the end of the third which badly hurt Ryan, but the former Walsall Wood ABC fight rallied well in the fourth in scoring with hard jabs and right hands.

It has hard to split the pair in the fifth but Power caught the eye more with the slightly cleaner work in the last to take a 59-56 verdict of referee Shaun Messer’s card.

Swindon’s Kelvin Young made it two unbeaten as he outpointed Plymouth’s Gavin Brook over four threes at middleweight.

An accomplished amateur, Kelvin won a Western Counties Junior ABA title and reached the last year’s final in the senior competition.

Young started fast and backed his man into the corner landing clean and hard shots in the opener. Gavin’s footwork appeared slightly lacklustre as he clearly was coming second best.  However, Brook scored with some good right hands and an eye-catching left hook to get into the fight in the second.

Kelvin get his punches off more effectively over the last two sessions to take a 39-37 point verdict on Grant Wallis’ card. The man in the middle was probationary referee Clarke Joslyn.

Exeter’s well supported Lewis Browning was the fighter of the night in my opinion in claiming a 39-38 verdict over experienced veteran Delroy Spencer of four three minute rounds at bantam.

Lewis, only 20 and 3-0 going in, stalked the Walsall fighter with intent in the opener. He exhibited a fast hard punch and scored well to both the head and the body. He followed up his advantage in the second by scoring with a hard right over the top as he looked by far stronder than the 41-year-old Spencer.

Over the last two sessions Browning took some to give his own, but was always a clear winner on my card and looks one for the future.

Jon Harrison returned from the ring after a year off to defeat Bridgewater’s Tommy Marshall over six-twos at middleweight. Referee Shaun Messer favoured the busier Harrison darting and spirited attacks awarding him a 59-56 verdict over the Aberystwyth-born fighter. The affair was messy and untidy. Marshall had his moments but in the fourth but was fighting with his mouth open from thereon.

Finally, Torquay’s Ben Wakenham shut out Birmingham’s Jason Nesbitt over six-twos at welter. Wakenham, with Jim Evans in his corner, looked in good shape and moved well throughout. He worked the body convincingly and managed frequently to score and to move away.