31.01.04 – By Elliot Worsell: Nottingham’s top super middleweight prospect Carl Froch 11-0 (8 KO’s) tuned up in explosive style for his upcoming British title stab in March, by overwhelming Russian import Dmitry Adamovich 8-7 (2 KO’s) in 2 rounds.
26-year-old Froch, who challenges Liverpool’s Tony Dodson in March for the Lonsdale crown, looked focussed and full of intent, as he set about disposing Adamovich quicker than former WBC champion Robin Reid did last October. Reid dispatched Adamovich in 4 rounds with some crippling body work, Froch did much of the same but in double quick time.
As is usually the case with Froch’s performances, for the first minute or so of the contest the Nottingham born prospect stalked, feinted, and teased his way into the fight against the stocky southpaw. Adamovich tried to be aggressive early on in the bout, but was soon deterred by some spiteful looking left hooks and right crosses through the middle. Froch didn’t waste much time in planting his feet and digging the meaty shots in against this normally durable opponent, whose face reddened very early under the onslaught.
Adamovich ran out of space to get away from the tongue-lashing he was receiving from ‘The Cobra’, and the accumulation of shots to head and body sent the blonde haired import down on one knee for the count with barely two minutes gone. He gallantly got back up, but Froch was buzzing by now and repeated the dose of stinging uppercuts, left hooks and right’s through the guard, until Adamovich took a knee again. The bell rang during the count. If it hadn’t, the fight would in all probability have been stopped there and then. Adamovich was out of his depth.
Froch packed his bags and headed home early in the 2nd, as he potshotted the Russian with some well picked, long right hands to head and body, that eventually busted the nose of the now sheepish looking opponent, and plumped him on the canvas. The ref, and Adamovich had seen more than enough of Froch, and the fight was stopped.
Froch will now begin preparations for a hugely anticipated British title crack against skilful champion Tony Dodson. Although he possibly didn’t get the rounds he needed tonight, and although his opponent didn’t offer much resistance, Carl Froch still beat the guy who was placed in front of him, and did so in an emphatic and dominant fashion.
The night’s major surprise came in the form of Ovill McKenzie 4-3 (0 KO’s) who outlasted and most importantly out pointed the charismatic Steve Spartacus 15-1 (8 KO’s) over 6 evenly contested rounds.
Spartacus, who had snatched the English light heavyweight title last time out when impressively slaying Scott Lansdowne in 3 rounds, seemed bemused by the loose, awkward style McKenzie presented him. Forever the aggressor, Spartacus round upon round was trying to force a way in, but was hit by a series of heavy looking left jabs and right crosses as he did so. The accumulation of which, took its toll the later the fight went. Spartacus swelled up badly throughout the contest and seemed out of puff as the fight wore on.
Indeed at the end of the 5th round, a round where both men took punishment, Spartacus looked spent as he wobbled back to his stool. He came out for the 6th, and the pair of them, as they had done for the previous 5 rounds, went hell for leather and were both asked questions about their chins.
McKenzie, whose loose, puzzle like style resembles that of British light heavyweight champ Peter Oboh, showed a great jaw throughout as he was forced to eat some almighty hooks and overhand rights from his Gladiator loving opponent. McKenzie did all his best work on the back foot, where he could lead Spartacus in and catch him constantly with jarring counterpunches.
Spartacus has enjoyed a healthy run of knockout wins recently, and it seemed that he was too intent on extending that sequence. Rather than teeing up his attacks with the left jab, he seemed to look for the big home run punch too much. Against a solid, and durable guy like McKenzie, this proved problematic. McKenzie ran out a 57-56 points winner in a very evenly contested battle. Spartacus deserves a rematch; McKenzie deserves a shot at the English title. A second fight’s a natural.
Morden’s light welterweight hope Lenny ‘Early’ Daws 7-0 (4 KO’s) was brought back down to earth in the opening round of his rumble with Russian trier Denis Alekseev 1-6 (1 KO), when he was dramatically floored and hurt by his shorter opponent.
The fleet footed opponent was a constant menace in the opener, and looked to have hit the jackpot with a corking left hook that caught Daws flush on the jaw and sagged his legs. Daws did his best to hang on, but was visibly hurt from the shot, and seconds later was tagged by a follow up right hook that sent him to the canvas heavily. Daws, down for the first time as a pro, kept his calm and composure, sought the advice of trainer Rob McCracken, and then wisely got to his feet at 8.
Alekseev was very confident as the round went on, and was having a field day landing his sneaky right cross over Daws’ left jab. It was a real test of Daws to come back from this early setback and prove his mettle. Importantly for Daws he began to get his first real success in the contest towards the end of round one, as he drove Alekseev back to the ropes with a series of long, rangy right hands.
Daws had recovered well from the knockdown, and had experienced something that all prospects must face at sometime in their career.
Daws began to show more intent and purpose in the 2nd as he aggravated Alekseev with his snappy left jab and sharp uppercuts. The smaller man was not deterred however, and still found some eye catching counter shots that snapped back the head of the Morden man. Daws began to shoot more to the body as the round progressed, in an attempt to slow down his pixie like opponent, but Alekseev was finding Daws too much of an open target, and connected with a big left, right hook combination near the bell that shook Daws up.
This was an important learning fight for Daws, and one in which he could really show what he was made of. In the 3rd he did just that. Cutting off the ring expertly, Daws tagged the Russian with a big left hook that hurt Alekseev, and then followed up with a barrage of straight shots on the ropes. Alekseev was seriously under pressure, and was again tagged flush by a left hook that sent him crumpling to the deck in distress. Alekseev made no attempt to rise from the count, as it appeared his ear was giving him extreme amounts of pain. The fight was waved off, and Lenny Daws announced the victor, much to his relief. The rangy light welterweight learned an awful lot from this fight, and most importantly, still came out victorious.
Making his debut for Hennessy Sports was featherweight talent John Murray who picked apart the extroverted Nobby Nobbs fighter Norman Dhalie in 2 rounds.
Manchester born Murray took his time getting down to work as he marched Dhalie down with high guard, and impressive looking straight shows. It was Dhalie though who got the first real success of the fight as he rammed some well picked lead lefts and rights through the guard of his 19-year-old opponent.
Murray had to stay composed, and that is exactly what he did. He looked impressive at close quarters, where he banged good looking right hooks to the fleshy body of Dhalie, and looked equally adept behind his left jab.
After a tentative opening, Murray settled down well into the fight, and began breaking Dhalie up with some big right crosses that were deflecting off the high chin of his heavier opponent. Upon being tagged Dhalie spat out his gum shield, and walked away to buy time. An ‘old mans trick’ if there ever was one.
His younger opponent wasn’t buying it though, and in the 2nd round, Murray closed the show with a cracking left hook that scrambled Dhalie’s senses momentarily, and then followed up with a flurry of hooks and rights, sending Dhalie down on one knee, where he stayed for the full count. It was Murray’s 4th win, with 2 coming inside distance.
Battersea’s Gilbert Eastman 17-3 (11 KO’s), brother of Howard, got back on track after a disappointing loss to Eugenio Monteiro, by out pointing Craig Lynch 4-8-1 (2 KO’s) over 6 competitive rounds.
Eastman, often criticised for fighting too one paced, was having none of it against Lynch, and started and finished at the same fast tempo, forcing the fight with his impressive array of head and body shots. Lynch to his credit, used his superior height and reach to good measure at times, as he landed well-picked shots on Eastman throughout. But it was Gilbert, who now hopes to get Monteiro back in the ring with him, who eventually ran out a comfortable points winner.
Exciting super featherweight crowd pleaser Billy Corcoran 8-1-1 (3 KO’s) went toe to toe with game and experienced Ukrainian Rakhim Mingaleev 21-35 (7 KO’s) over 6 rounds, coming out a 60-54 points winner. Corcoran was the more polished of the two, and looked a weight division bigger than Mingaleev, as he constantly drove the sturdy opponent to the ropes with impressive body shots and left hooks. It was a well-earned win for the super charged Wembley talent who hopes that 2004 will culminate in some sort of domestic title crack.
Middleweight Daniel Cadman looked ‘up for it’ when bombing out Mike Duffield in one round, despite Duffield’s complaints that he was fine when the referee intervened. Cadman appeared sharp, and purposeful as he backed Duffield to the ropes and let a combination of heavy shots go; to which there was no reply. The ref had no choice but to stop the contest. Cadman moves to 4-0 and secured his first stoppage win.
In the show opener, Lee McCallister out pointed trusty journeyman Karl Taylor over 4 rounds by score of 40 to 37. McCallister was in control throughout due to his rangy style and superior speedand now advances to 11-1 (1 KO).