Manchester's Denton Vassell picked up the vacant Commonwealth
welterweight title by unanimous decision at Wigan's Robin Park
Centre but he really had to work for it
Vassell, an HSBC bank worker by day, only got the shout to square
off for the old Empire strap a few weeks ago after the proposed
bout between Mark Thompson and Adnan Amar collapsed, but showed
good fitness and extensive body punching to get past Colchester's
Lee Purdy in a potential fight of the year candidate.
The first couple of rounds were pick 'em affairs. Vassell started
the brighter of two, focusing his attacks on the body but just when
he seemed to getting the upperhand the pendulum would swing the
other way and Purdy would get in quality one-twos.
In round three Purdy, the reigning Southern Area champion, moved
up the gears and detonated more chopping lefts and rights. Vassell,
though, wasn't prepared to take a backwards step and again
connected with meaty punches to the torso that probably did enough
for him to take a tight round on the scorecards.
A turning point occurred in the fourth when Purdy allowed his work
rate to drop and Vassell capitalised by again connecting with a
barrage of hard hooks to the Colchester man's ribs.
The pattern of Vassell getting close and hooking to the body with
Purdy throwing little in response continued until close to the end
of the seventh session when Lee stunned a his tiring foe with a
volley of punches that left the Mancunian reeling. The bell,
however, sounded before Purdy could land the shots needed to close
the show.
Then in the eighth Denton, who won an ABA title in 2006 despite
only having 19 amateur fights on his ledger, gritted his teeth and
got back to what he does best, pummelling his opponent's
ribcage.
Previously the native of the Miles Platting estate had never
fought more than six rounds and at times it showed as he breathed
heavily and allowed his punch output to diminish but, apart from
that period at the end of the seventh, Purdy never had enough sauce
on his counters to make another dent (no pun intended) in the new
champion.
Judges scorecards read 117 - 112, 117 - 111 and 115 - 114
Another vacant Commonwealth title was picked up by a Manchester
fighter when Craig Watson smashed Badru Lusambya in two rounds to
take the light-middleweight version.
27-year-old Watson has been campaigning close to
light-welterweight limit but when the original tie between Thomas
McDonagh and former British champion Gary Woolcombe fell out of
bed, he gladly jumped into the fray.
Watson, who once famously floored Amir Khan in the amateurs,
soaked up the Ugandan shots in the first before finishing things
with heavy artillery in the subsequent session.
A fast right-left had Lusambya on the seat of his trunks and
moments later he was down again from a short left hook that clipped
him as he retreated on the back foot. The third knockdown was more
a cuffing shot but the finish was superb. Watson made Lusambya reel
again with damaging blows before settling things with a solid
one-two and referee Marcus McDonnell waved it off. The time was
1.15.
Despite his impressive showing, Watson is likely to vacate his
newly acquired bauble and move back down to more comfortable waters
at 10 stone.
6ft 8ins Sheffield giant Richard Towers looks like being a
heavyweight to keep an eye out for.
The 30-year-old, nicknamed "The Inferno",used his immense power to
wipe out the normally durable Yavor Marinchev in the second round
of a fight scheduled for six-threes.
A hard right to the side of the Bulgaria import's head sent him
crashing to the ring apron. Seconds later Marinchev was down again
as Towers switched his assault to the body. Bravely Yavor clambered
back up but when the Sheffield heavyweight's fusillade continued,
official John Latham stepped in.
Another Steel City-native enjoying the sweet taste of victory was
light-middleweight Lee "Brown Sugar" Edwards as he ran out a 60 -
55 winner over Barnsley's John Musgrave.
At times Musgrave, now 7 - 8 (0 KOs), found success when his foe
slowed down the pace and threw only single punches but Edwards
quashed his gallant effort with eye catching counter hooks and
uppercuts.
Former ABA cruiserweight champion Matty Askins won Blackpool
bragging rights by halting Matthew Ellis in the first round of
their scheduled six-threes encounter.
A flush right hand dropped Ellis to the canvas and he remained
crouched over while the referee tolled the full count of ten.
At the end of the first round between St Helen's unbeaten Craig
Lyon and Georgian George Gachechiladze it seemed only a matter of
time before the Merseyside fight notched took his tally to ten
straight wins. A left hook had dropped the eastern European for a
count of "six" and right behind the ear had also seen him drop to
the mat.
But, spurred on by his vocal corner team, Gachechiladze stormed
back into things in the second frame and even bloodied Lyon's nose
with spearing punches.
Rounds three to six were fought at a frenetic pace. Lyon's landed
clean shots upstairs but unlike in the opener he couldn't seem to
budge the Georgian, who entertained by stepping back and making
mocking gestures.
The final round of this six session war saw Lyon finally do what
he'd been threatening from the opening bell and score the stoppage.
Lyon detonated a meaty right hand that forced Gachechiladze to do
the chicken dance and Steve Grey called it off.
Middleweight "Smoking" Jez Wilson saw his previously perfect log
snapped when he was halted by Zimbabwye's former Commonwealth
welter challenger Farai Musiyiwa.
Wilson, a Sheffield fireman, has been frustrated by a lack of
opportunities in the last year or so and that probably explains why
he came storming out of the blocks intent to make his mark on the
fight.
And things were going well for him when a looping overhand right
hit the target and sent Musiyiwa crashing backwards to the canvas,
but when the action resumed it was the African getting off the
bombs.
Wilson did connect with a crunching right hand early in the second
and was the one coming forward but at 1.51 his eagerness was his
undoing as the Africa dazed him with short punches on the inside
before scoring a knockdown with a chopping right. Trainer Glyn
Rhodes threw the towel in.
Martin Gethin kept his hopes of fighting for the English
lightweight title alive with a 59 - 55 marking time victory over
Rotherham journeyman John Baguley.
Gethin was always in control as he mixed his attacks between the
head and body but Baguley comes to have a go and got off some
decent shots of his own, particularly in the second round.
Former European super-featherweight champion Sergey Gulyakeviche
defeated Georgian Nugzar Margvelashvilli by 59 points to 55.
Margvelashvilli tried hard and even did enough to take the third
round with slapping but accurate punches but Gulyakevich, who is
still in line for a shot at his old continental crown, continually
landed the better shots even though it often appeared he was only
fighting at less than 50 per cent of his ability.
On the show opener Worthing's young lightweight Alex Dilmaghani
took his ledger to 5 - 0 (1) and became the 50th man to beat Johnny
Greaves with a 40 - 37 four round decision. Phil Edwards scored
from ringside while trialist John Latham officiated.
Full Results
Vacant Commonwealth Welterweight Title
Denton Vassell bt Lee Purdy Pts
Vacant Commonwealth Light-Middleweight Title
Craig Watson bt Badru Lusambya TKO 2nd
6x3 Cruiserweight
Matty Askins bt Mathew Ellis KO 1st
6x3 Bantamweight
Craig Lyon bt George Gachechiladze RSF 6th
6x3 Heavyweight
Richard Towers bt Yavor Marinchev RSF 2nd
6x3 Super-Featherweight
Sergey Gulyakevich bt Nugzar Margelashvili Pts
6x3 Middleweight.
Jez Wilson lost to Farai Musiwya TKO 2nd
4x3 Lightweight.
Alex Dilmighani bt Jonny Greaves Pts
6x3 Lightweight
Martin Gethin bt John Baguley Pts
17/04/2010 13:21:05