Cannonball fires on - selected undercard action from Doncaster
The Steel City's Liam Cameron (11st 4¼lb) continued his ascent in the professional ranks with an easy stoppage over Lester “Leggy” Walsh (11st 4lb). Mike Alexander called a halt to proceedings after 2:42 of the fourth round in this middleweight contest scheduled for six.
Cameron started in typical fashion setting his distance with his probing right, keeping the journeyman at distance and landing crosses easily. Walsh failed to land anything significant throughout the opener, and he took to the ropes early in the second. Cameron was already dominant in every department and his superior lateral footwork kept him in control, even though he appeared to be in second gear throughout the contest.
Walsh was looking tired during the third as Cameron landed two left jabs and a right uppercut, before working the body. In what turned out to be the final round Walsh started to hold more, but even up close Cameron was far superior. This fight had an air of getting rounds under the belt, as I am sure it could have been finished much earlier. Cameron landed combinations that seemed to lack bite, but he was clearly not putting everything into them. However, the cumulative effect of these on Walsh caused exhaustion.
Cameron finally started putting real venom into his shots and landed an array of seven different punches with no reply. With the end looming he fired another nine-shot salvo of jabs, crosses and hooks as Walsh crumbled in the corner, by this point Mike Alexander had seen enough and quite rightly stopped the contest. The more I see of Cameron the more it looks like he needs to step up a level of opposition. He is just burying his opponents to date.
Josh Warrington (9st 3lbs 4oz) took on journeyman Steve Gethin (9st 6lbs 8oz) in an uninspiring four-threes featherweight contest. Leeds man Warrington did nothing wrong in beating the man in front of him. He looked good throughout, quicker, stronger, technically better. His defence was very tidy but never really had to be, and he looked busy throughout. It was a complete shut out scored 40-36.
Rotherham light-welter prospect Chad Gaynor (9st 12lb 8oz) took on Nuneaton’s late replacement Kristian Laight (10st 2lb 8oz) in the visitor's 100th fight. There was to be no fairy tale celebration for this land mark, as Gaynor controlled the first round and the centre of the ring, which he marked as his territory throughout.
Laight was breathing heavily by the second as Gaynor weighed in with crunching left hooks to the body. He was in survival mode again in the third as Gaynor’s chopping right hand time and time again found its way through. Laight had by this time choosing to engage only as a last option. In the final round Gaynor forced Laight to the ropes, but was not putting everything into his shots. Gaynor did nothing wrong all fight and won 40 -36. Gaynor went to 5(3)-0-0 getting some rounds under his belt whilst Laight record now stands at 6(0)-88(4)-6.
Last fight of the evening saw another late replacement as Birmingham’s Andrew “Paddy” Patterson (10st 12lbs) stepped in to fight the much smaller 21 year-old Hull based fighter Tommy “Boom Boom” Coyle (10st). Coyle started with a big right hook, he struggled to get past the bigger mans guard with a left jab. Patterson shots were limited to a defensive jab trying to keep the lively Coyle at bay.
The second saw a bit of a surprise as whilst probing with his left jab Coyle was caught by Patterson's left, and staggered across the ropes, without touching down. Seconds later a right hook combined sent Coyle to the canvas. The referee was very quick to judge this a slip, and whilst there may be a bit of unsure footing it really should have been scored a knock down.
The success Paddy had had during the second seemed to give him a lift and he made a really entertaining fight of it. Coyle, perhaps embarrassed by his performance the previous round, put more sting into his shots, and landing some good left hooks. Patterson seemed to realise at this point his considerable frame advantage and started to use it in his favour. The cleaner combinations came from Coyle who started to adopt a successful raid and leave strategy.
The final saw more entertaining exchanges; Coyle was boxing far better at range. Paddy shrugged off a good left to the ribs but he felt it. A right followed up straight down the pipe. Coyle, despite the second round scares had done enough to win a pleasantly entertaining encounter taken the decision 40-37.
The undercard was to say the least, slightly chaotic. Jamie’s brother Gavin McDonnell never got a scheduled run out against Chuck Jones. None of the prospects with the exception of Coyle were really tested. The doors where supposed to open at 18:30, but somehow the action got underway at 18:15 meaning many missed the opening fights, including Keiran Farrell's travelling fans.
