30.10.05 – Three Hennessy Sports talents featured in exhilarating contests on away soil this weekend. Lenny Daws and John Murray registered impressive stoppage victories, whilst Esham Pickering featured in one of the contests of 2005. Londoner Daws travelled to the Borough Hall in Hartlepool to take on Oscar Hall from nearby Darlington on Friday night (October 28th) in a final eliminator for the English light welterweight title. He proved beyond doubt that he is ready for Championship class.
The 26-year-old had to cope with a fellow former ABA champion who realised that he may be in the last chance saloon. Hall roared out of the blocks full of intent and kept up a blistering pace to open up a narrow points lead.
Daws, however, has a big engine. He was easily able to stay with his opponent and it was evident there was only going to be one winner when he stepped on the gas. Hall took heavy blows as the fight wore on, particularly during the seventh when he was trapped on the ropes for a good 30 seconds throwing nothing back.
It was no surprise that he was pulled out by Neil Fanning and John Ingle in his corner before the next session. A hand injury was claimed.
Pickering topped the bill in Hartlepool against hometown boy Michael Hunter. Both were champions before the fight even begun; Pickering put his Commonwealth and European super bantamweight titles on the line, Hunter his British. The latter left with all three.
Despite heavily flooring Hunter in both rounds one and two with choice left hooks and putting in the better work in several of the later sessions, Pickering dropped a razor tight majority decision 114-113, 114-113 and 113-113.
The judges had rewarded pure aggression. Whilst Hunter rarely landed cleanly and was again hurt, he piled forward relentlessly. The capacity crowd celebrated his every move.
Many thought the decision should have gone the other way.
It seems the officials were a little confused about the scoring themselves. The scores were added up incorrectly and it was initially thought that Hunter had won a split 115-112, 114-113 and 113-114.
The scorecards were not needed for John Murray’s fight against the hardy Tyrone Wiggins at Lac Leamy Casino in Gatineau, Quebec on Saturday night.
The Manchester super featherweight had only travelled to Canada on Tuesday to provide the British interest on the bill covered live by Eurosport following the late pull out of Herbie Hide, but there were no signs of jet lag.
He dominated from the start, landing with every shot in the book. It came as no surprise when he scored a classy knockout in the fourth, much to the delight of the locals who began cheering his name. His no nonsense approach to the business is winning this outstanding prospect fans all over the world – he also impressed when winning in Tampa in August.