Boxing bank worker Denton Vassell retained his Commonwealth
welterweight title with an unanimous decision over Bethuel Ushona
at the Robin Park Centre in Wigan on Saturday night (March
26).
The judges scores were 117-113, 117-112 and 118 -111 but despite
the wide margins it wasn't all smooth running for the unbeaten
Manchester fighter.
Vassell, who models himself on a young Mike Tyson, began moving
forward and winging in the hooks from the off. Namibian Ushona,
himself unbeaten going, responded well with right hands.
Unperturbed Vassell continued to storm forward and although his
work was often crude, his higher output and tenacity was enough to
ensure the judges were marking the sessions in his favour.
The African, who holds win over Vassell's former stable mate Ali
Nuumbembe, found success with solid rights as the progressed and
his tactic of moving around the ring was causing the champion
problems.
But as the bout moved into the championship rounds, Vassell began
to get on top his foe and dig to the body. Often his work was
untidy but with Ushona struggling to find the space to throw back
successfully there was only going to be one winner.
"He was one of the slippiest fighters I've ever fought," Vassell
said. "I hadn't seen much of his fights, so I just stuck to the
gameplan of keeping the pressure on and wearing him down.
"When we grabbed each other he really held on tight with made it
very awkward.
"I could have used my jab a lot more but that will come with
time."
Blackpool's Matty Askins won the vacant Central Area cruiserweight
crown with a sixth round stoppage of Rotherham's Neil Dawson.
Former ABA champ Askins scrambled Dawson's senses with a huge
right hand and when he moved in to finish the Yorkshireman off,
referee Michael Alexander called it off.
12/06/2011 01:47:30