Williams the English master, a Pole axe and a fighting Frampton!
Steve Williams, now 9-0, captured the vacant English light-welterweight title with a deserved unanimous points win over Michael Grant, 12-2-1, who has now lost back-to-back fights. It was an entertaining and evenly matched affair in the chief support to Lenny Daws' British light-welterweight title defence against Jason Cook on Friday.
Although Grant, 9st 13 lbs 9oz, from Tottenham was fighting just a few miles down the road in Bethnal Green’s York Hall it was Williams, 9st 13 lbs 3oz, hailing from
Williams started well by winning two of the first three rounds on my card with his busier work. By the end of the third Grant started to look a little marked up, which is not surprising given the fact he had only two months to allow a nasty cut over his left eye to heal that ended his Prizefighter outing in December (lost TKO3 Jason Cook).
Grant had a better fourth, but didn’t maintain any momentum giving away the fifth. He did pick it up again in the sixth and began finding his range and rhythm.
In comparison, Williams didn’t do anything outstanding throughout but just seemed to have the upperhand and connected several times with solid right hands and maintained a slightly higher workrate which edged him the vital middle rounds.
Grant himself did have success with right hands and fought back with counter shots while slipping others. Williams was on top in the eighth and ninth while Grant, fighting on the back-foot, still stuck in there. I think Williams also slightly edged the final round.
A bad start can make a fighter lose heart but Grant showed plenty and a granite chin. He shipped some heavy shots but had he used his classy boxing skills instead of engaging so often he might have been going home with the belt. Like the top of the bill, a rematch would be welcomed.
Undercard review
The first contest of the evening got underway just after 6.30 pm in front of a near empty York Hall with the vacant EU middleweight title up for grabs. It was Poland’s Grzegorz Proksa, now 20-0 (13), who grabbed it with both hands after using his fists heavily on victim Tyan Booth by outclassing and outpunching him before the end came at 2.02 of the fifth.
It seemed a long count as Booth climbed up at ten after being caught to the head and body. The referee, Giuseppe Quartarone, waved it over. Sheffield-based Booth walked back to his corner and signaled he was okay.
It wasn’t too long before it became obvious that Booth was out of his league. Despite Tyan smiling at Grzegorz and generally clowning the Pole was having none of it and showed Booth he wasn’t willing to play circus and his wide smile would soon be turning into a frustrated frown.
Surprisingly, Booth had started well on the front foot poking out his jab but when the shots came back his way the fight turned swiftly in Proksa’s favour despite him sharing the opener and winning the second on my card.
Booth, 11st 6lbs, was not an elusive Ingle trained fighter and his mouth was open after the opening rounds largely thanks to some hard and accurate lefts to his head from Proksa, 11st 4lbs 12oz, who certainly seemed intent on an early night from the third round onwards.
At the end of the third, both men squared up and put their heads together. This only added to Booth’s pain as Proksa came straight at him in the fourth and Booth was no longer retaliating. The warning signs were sounding a little louder and in the fifth became deafening for Booth who closed his ears and night to all around.
Proksa made Booth, a man who has gone the distance with dynamite fisted Matthew Hall and beaten George Hillyard, look very ordinary and rather quickly. Grzegorz looks mean and I don’t think
Proksa was joined in the ring by fellow Pole and European heavyweight champion Albert Sosnowski (who is set to defend his title against Audley Harrison in April). No doubt these two will act as a nice promotional double act considering
This fight summed up the majority of the undercard with a number of one-sided contests.
Carl Frampton though was worth watching even if it was only for four rounds. The
Frampton’s enthusiastic manager Barry McGuigan bellowed out several times “use your jab, Carl” when frequently getting off his seat. This fight was a story of Frampton, 8st 10lbs 10 oz, the hunter versus Boyeaux, two pounds lighter, the hunted.
Carl threw a high volume of punches but carelessly got caught several times as can be expected in only his fourth fight. Boyeaux, now 2-1, was no pushover, looking strong and unfazed despite the onslaughts of Carl. Little Frampton looks like he’ll be turning into a huge Irish star.
