The Britpack – A recap of Frank Warren’s Liverpool card

It was another Sky box office showcase of the country’s finest fistic talent on show, as Frank Warren celebrated thirty years in the sport of boxing. The anniversary was a few days previous the record but in a journey that has seen Warren reach the pinnacle as a promoter, Frank put on a five title fight card, a mixture of controversy, brashness, excitement and boredom that proved the concoction that Warren would raise his promotional glass to on this his thirty years in boxing!

**************************************************************************************************************

W.B.O intercontinental welterweight championship

Kell Brook {Champion} v Philip Kotey {Ghana}

Kell Brook who recently relinquished his British welterweight title had an easy time of things as he put on a masterful performance in demolishing Ghana’s Philip Kotey in just two rounds to retain his W.B.O intercontinental title for what that’s worth!

Brook showed poise and patience as he attacked both body and head. He stayed in front of the African where he went up and went through the gears as he showed good punch variation backing up Kotey with good solid punching that seemed to find the target time and again. It seemed he couldn’t miss the stand up African who tried the odd right hand and a rather harmless looking left jab that had very little venom it. Kotey missed with the majority of his shots, Brook towards the end of the opener landed a solid short left hook that caught Kotey flush sending him tumbling to the canvas up at seven, Kotey took another burst but managed to last to the bell.

In the second Brook wasted little time as another series of shots had the hapless challenger stumbling back into a corner, showing heart Kotey tried to fight back but one onslaught from the Sheffield man had Kotey almost falling into the ropes, shortly afterwards another combination had the African stumbling back on unsteady legs in the same corner he’d found himself in only some ten or so seconds earlier and the third man jumped in saving Kotey from further punishment.

Brook had hardly broke a sweat and in the post fight interview spoke of an hopeful meeting with American Mike Jones in the new year and an hopeful World title shot even sparring with giant heavyweight Richard Towers whom Brook said he’d been smashing up in sparring!

*****************************************************************************************************************

British Super middleweight championship

Paul Smith {champion} v James Degale

James Degale became British super middle champion in his ninth professional fight, however fighting in front of a mostly hostile pro Paul Smith crowd Degale had it all to do.

Degale was clearly favourite going into this but Paul Smith had greater experience in that loneliest of places…the ring. Battle hardened Smith came to the ring to a hero’s welcome, Degale to a chorus of boos but as the first round got underway it didn’t matter as it was clear too see that Degale was naturally the faster of the two and used it to his advantage. He kept things at range for the best part of the opener against the notoriously slow starting champion who conceded the opening four rounds due too the much faster precise boxing of the Londoner who seemed to outbox and at times out fight the rugged Smith.

As the fight wore on Degale was clearly out boxing his man but Smith at times tried to get inside and take Degale into the trenches, his best bet for victory, but got more than he bargained for because when he did Degale staved the champion off with fast quick combinations. In the fourth an accidental clash of heads opened a cut over the champions right eye as the blood coursed down the side of his face it wasn’t posing too much of a problem at least not compared to what was in front of him!

Now and again Smith did manage to get his shot’s off but was mostly missing and hitting thin air as Degale composed looking continued to out box the champion. Degale controlled the fight from the outside and now and again got on the inside to land flurries that Smith had no answer to, all Smith could do was take them before regrouping for another Degale onslaught. In the sixth Degale scored a heavy shot downstairs that sailed low and after a ticking off from the third man and a brief rest for Smith, the fight resumed as Degale continued to control and in the eighth scored a terrific left uppercut that knocked Smith’s head back, a punch the champion did well to take it and survived.

The ninth and ultimately the final round saw Smith take another shellacking after getting involved, Smith kept coming forwards undeterred by the faster man, a couple of left hooks from Degale had Smith shook up, and then a flurry of shot’s from the challenger culminating with a left hook caught the Liverpool man flush, staggering into his corner the ref jumped in a saved the champion at 2:45 of the ninth.

Degale was crowned champion and afterwards said ‘I’m the real deal and I’m going all the way!’ after this performance it would be hard to suggest otherwise. In an interesting interview with Degale’s main rival George Groves’ trainer Adam Booth, Booth seemed a little apprehensive and seemed to pause a lot on questions from Smith back in the Sky studio, Booth seemed impressed but was still confident of his man’s chances against Degale.

*****************************************************************************************************************

European middleweight championship

Matthew Macklin {champion} v Ruben Voron {Spain}

Macklin making the second defence of his European bauble met a tough uncompromising type in Spain’s Ruben Veron as he won a unanimous points decision to retain his championship, the scores of 116-111, 116-113 and finally 117-111 were a little generous one could argue as the crowd at the Echo arena echoed there disgust!

Macklin decked in the Irish green came out asserting himself to begin with as he used a stiff left jab before unloading rights, however Voron replicated Macklin’s attacks but it was Macklin who seemed to get through that bit more to take what was a fairly quiet opener. However in the next stanza the fight began to take shape more so as the champion got through with a few half decent rights. Voron came battling back keeping things on the inside where he worked Macklin’s body as both gave a good account of themselves, Macklin’s face was reddened from the Spaniard’s work whom I thought seemed to do enough and take the second to even things up a little.

Round’s three and four saw both men in at close quarters for the best part, in the third Macklin scored nicely with a double left hook as Voron took it without any trouble, however the fourth saw both men warned for hitting low, Macklin seemed to be out of his comfort zone a little as Voron was seemingly the stronger on the inside and was getting the better of it although Macklin did back up his challenger to the ropes with one nice flurry, Voron found a way back as he tried to out tough the Birmingham battler, a hard enough job in itself!

Voron was deducted a point in the fifth for hitting low after some good exchanges but from the sixth on Macklin knew he was getting the worse of things and started to box a little more, now and again Macklin would land something significant that would make the Spaniard blink but it was short lived as the challenger came plodding forwards getting on the inside where he was producing his best work, this was basically the story for the next five rounds as Macklin decided discretion was the better part of valour, now and again Macklin would chance his arm and attack but it was the Spaniard who was getting the better of it in the trenches, however Macklin landed with a nice couple of flurries to nick the eighth, each and every round up until this point was nip and tuck, Macklin would seemingly nick a round and vice versa.

Macklin’s best chance of victory was boxing from the outside and catching the teak tough challenger with counters, every now and then but Macklin’s machismo got the better of him and he got involved but he was in the long run coming off second best it seemed with such a tactic. Boxing nicely in the penultimate round, Macklin raised his hands prematurely, although he’d done enough to win the session it clearly didn’t tell the complete story of the previous thirty or so minutes of championship boxing. To begin the final session Macklin, right eye closing, looked a spent force as the Spaniard’s attacks were taking there toll but Macklin’s a die hard brawler and he started to foolishly trade with the stronger Veron which could have proved almost suicidal as Macklin’s left eye was cut during one exchange in the final session. Macklin during one attack lost his gum shield and needed the slight respite to buy some time as the aforementioned mouthpiece was replaced but got back to boxing his stocky challenger and at the bell was awarded what I considered a more than charitable decision.

Macklin spoke after about a possible World title shot but on this form Macklin isn’t quite ready for that just yet, a possible fight that could take place would be a fight with North London’s Darren Barker himself also a former British, Commonwealth and European champion in what would be one of the biggest domestic match up’s in years at middle.

********************************************************************************************************************

W.B.O World interim light heavyweight championship

Nathan Cleverly {champion} v Nadjib Mohammedi

In what was the first defence of Cleverly’s W.B.O interim championship, Cleverly failed to excite in a non event of a fight you could say. For the first four rounds or should that be the whole twelve rounds Cleverly couldn’t seem to solve the Frenchman’s survival tactics. Neither threw anything of any real note for the first six or seven rounds, Cleverly tried to land but missed on his much shorter stockier opponent who was proving a lot more elusive than expected.

Cleverly was expected to brush aside this late replacement with ease but simply couldn’t negate a way through the tricky challenger’s guard and every time he seemed to throw a shot or shots the shorter Frenchman just took a step back and swayed out of arm’s way. It was frustrating for Cleverly and also to watch, boos rang out naturally, however Cleverly did up his work rate a little with a few attacks later on but though he was landing he couldn’t connect with anything notable to stop or hurt his challenger. A forgettable fight and Cleverly the winner by 115-112, 116-111 and 115-113 respectively admitted afterwards that he found his challenger an elusive target and that the change of opponent didn’t help also not having been able to get many tapes of the Frenchman beforehand! Cleverly will be looking to put this dismal display behind him.

*******************************************************************************************************************

Commonwealth light heavyweight championship

Tony Bellew {champion} v Ovill Mckenzie

In a battle of punchers, not many gave McKenzie much of a chance in this a shot at his old title, Bellew looking to improve on his last performance against Bob Ajisafe came out asserting himself against the very muscular McKenzie who had obviously trained hard for this a surprise tilt after a long lay off.

Bellew kept in front of his man and tried to show that last time out it was just an off night, as the two sparred for openings.

Bellew got caught flush with a short right hand from McKenzie that deposited the Scouser on the seat of his pants for a count, up straight away more embarrassed than hurt Bellew got straight on the attack as he didn’t let what had just happened dampen his enthusiasm.

It was one of those fights that could end at any time and in the second Bellew continued from where he left off until that is he ran into a right hand that felled him like a tree, the punch landed smack on the money and Bellew looked gone in the replay, however showing terrific recuperative powers Bellew got straight up and when asked whether he was okay by third man Phil Edwards, almost seemed more angry than anything with himself and the ref for asking him. Bellew knew it was do or die and tried to make a street fight of it.

McKenzie seemed to be growing with confidence and obviously with the two knockdowns was clearly a 10-8 winner for both sessions. In the third Bellew seemed to take the play away from the advancing McKenzie who couldn’t reproduce the success of the previous two rounds and failed to put a dent in Tony’s chin or confidence, Bellew showed resolve and character and began to land on the former holder of this title, one such attack in the fourth had McKenzie in a little trouble as a couple of rights found a home on McKenzie’s chin which backed up the Derby man.

From the fifth to the seventh Bellew seemed to be controlling everything as the powerfully built McKenzie moved around the ring, at times with his arms down by his waist as he shimmied a little cockily as if he was just waiting to reintroduce the champion to the canvas again, then in the eighth Bellew moved McKenzie along the ropes before detonating a short left hook that Bellew turned his wrist on as he connected to Ovill’s exposed chin which dumped him in a heap, getting up McKenzie was met by Bellew who was trying to desperately finish his man, one shot got through that had very little behind it and then another right that missed had McKenzie backing away and has he did unbelievably referee Phil Edwards jumped in and threw his arms around McKenzie who tried to move away from the referee and who rightfully remonstrated the extremely premature stoppage, no way should Edwards have had stopped the fight and surely there will be a rematch.

Bellew screamed into the camera ‘you mother ****ing press’ in answering his critics, for some reason I respected Bellew’s bellow!

The likable Scouser moves to 15-0 and could figure in another tussle with McKenzie next year.

******************************************************************************************************************

Earlier on the bill the younger brother of Paul Smith had an easy night’s work with oft beat but tough journeyman Matt Scriven, stopping his man in two rounds. In the opener a succession of body shots had Scriven hurt, but Scriven being Scriven came fighting back, in the second session Smith behind a high guard let go with a solid right uppercut followed by a succession of left hooks that made Scriven do a funny dance as he tottered backwards where the third man saw enough and saved the tough Scriven from further punishment, Scriven clearly was not happy with the stoppage the true pro that he is and was having his twentieth outing this year!

Also on the show Larry Olubamiwo at heavyweight took on Paul Butlin whose former nemesis Dereck Chisora was ringside, Olubamiwo a huge built heavy floored Butlin once in the fourth and then again in the eighth of there scheduled ten rounder, stopping Butlin to secure another inside schedule stoppage!

Also light middle hope Joe Selkirk proved a the little busier against West Drayton light middle Steve O’Meara, a stablemate of James Degale, as he went down over six on points to Selkirk.

Related posts: