Chippenham: Young Gun moves to 10-1

Swindon’s Kelvin “Young Gun” Young headlined a KM Promotions card at the Olympiad Leisure centre in Chippenham on Saturday night when he outpointed Sheffield’s experienced 32-year-old Dean Walker in a middleweight six rounder.

Kelvin, who is now eleven fights into his paid career (10 wins against 1 loss), fought with an organised but loose style throughout the contest. Despite the one blot on his copybook coming via brutal stoppage, he still hasn’t corrected the habit of keeping his left hand up.

Dean, having the 50th fight of his career, trundled into the Swindonian like a clockwork toy over the opening two seasons, but was forced to hold more by the third as Kelvin was having the last word in the majority of exchanges. Young suffered a cut on the bridge of his nose in the fourth but managed to cuff the brave Walker around regularly over the second half of the fight.

Referee Clake Joslyn scored the bout a shut out and Dean, whose record now stands at 12-23-3 (1), is now four years from his last win. Kelvin, who is ranked 15 according to Boxrec, is the reigning British Masters king. In addition, he seems to have regained his confidence and is improving steadily. However, with the gifted pair of Billy Joe Saunders and Martin Murray being Southern Area and British rulers respectively, the 24-year-old from Penhill may be wiser to look to local rivals Nick Blackwell or Danny Butler for opposition nearer his current level.

Gloucester’s Mike Biggs made his professional debut at 21 when he outpointed a motivated Krissy Laight over four rounds at lightweight. A former Western Counties ABA titlist, Biggs worked the body well in the opener and then moved cleanly to the head. Laight, from Nuneaton and having his 121st outing in the paid ranks, certainly came to win but despite landing a couple of useful right hand shots he found himself a slight step behind throughout. He most definitely played his part in what was often a nip-and-tuck affair but at the close referee Grant Wallis scored the bout to Biggs with a 39-38 point ledger.

Another close affair saw 28-year-old Danny Carter edge Trowbridge’s Dan Carr by a single point in a six twos at light-welter. Although he was over eagar during the first two sessions, Carter was impressive with the southpaw straight left. For his part, Carr was aggressive and came forward consistently but was punished often for keeping his left low. By the end of the third Carr had suffered a nicked right eye. The Wiltshire man bravely tried to punch his way back into the contest in the last and got the better of the action for my money. But at the close referee Joslyn scored 39-37 for Carter who moves to two fights unbeaten (both wins).

Powerfully built Mike Rose from Bath made a successful start to his professional career. The former Under-19 rugby player outpointed Westbury’s game Ricky Hatton look-alike Aaron Fox over four rounds at light-middleweight. Fox tried managed to get in close and was clearly hoping to ruff Rose up, but Mike appeared by far the stronger of the pair as he opened up with hard right and lefts in reply. The game Fox was outgunned over the course of the contest but never stopped trying. Rose adapted well throughout the fight, he appeared to shorten his shots up over the last two rounds to take a clear 40-37 verdict on Wallis’ card.

Bicester’s well supported Daza Usher was yet another pro start on the show. He made a successful start to life without a vest in outpointing Birmingham’s tough Sid Razak over the four round course at light-welter. Daza looks like one to watch on this performance. He punched and pressured well. His footwork was sound and he bent well at the knees to make his head an elusive moving target. As early as the second it was one-way traffic and the affair verged on exhibition material over the final two sessions. Sid used his experience to survive and he had the odd go at apply pressure but in the end Usher was awarded a shut out decision.

In his 150th paid fight, Jason Nesbitt pushed Lydney’s Chris Higgs close as he narrowly missed out on a winning milestone by a 39-38 point verdict on Grant Wallis’ card in a four threes at welter. Higgs did most of the punching in the first but Nesbitt stayed safely tucked up and marched in. The veteran from Birmingham started to punch more in the second but his swings were too wide and he was being punished by the correct-boxing 24-year-old. Over the final two rounds, Chris unwisely started to trade with Nesbitt which was a dangerous strategy against such a hardened opponent. But Nesbitt couldn’t connect with the big on and Higgs is now unbeaten in 9 fights (all wins).

Former top-level amateur Steve Mullins scored the second win of his paid career in outpointing Trowbridge debutant Dan Blackwell over four rounds at middleweight. Steve, a former ABA finalist who fought the likes of James Degale in a vest, punched nicely in fours and fives to give the 18-year-old white collar convert a trying start to the professional ranks. Dan, only 18, is the younger brother of former British middleweight title challenger Nick. He delivered a high workrate over the first half of the fight but when his volume dropped off the job appeared too big for him. He took some hard flurries to both head and body and slipped a 40-37 point defeat at the close.