OUT of the ring for nearly six years, Liam Shinkwin launched his comeback with a solid six-rounds points win over Reading’s Ibrar Riyaz at York Hall. Boxing a week before his 33rd birthday, former undefeated Southern Area lightweight champion Shinkwin (now up at super-light) showed virtually no ringrust and dominated his game opponent to take a 60-55 verdict from referee Ian John-Lewis.
Riyaz made a fight of it, pressing forward in the opener and using good head movement to make Shinkwin miss. But by the end of the session Shinkwin (Bushey Heath) was putting his shots together, and in the second he used his height advantage to stand off and counter as Riyaz tried to get close.
Shinkwin opened up in the third, though a right had him holding on at the bell. The pattern continued – Riyaz pressing, Shinkwin countering – and by the last round Riyaz’s face was quite marked up, with a long diagonal cut on the right side. It was a thoroughly satisfying comeback for Shinkwin.
Geraint Goodridge (Port Talbot) ruined Paul Greenidge’s unbeaten record, taking referee Lee Every’s 39-37 verdict over four.
Going in, Greenidge (Abbots Langley) hadn’t dropped a round in four bouts (all at York Hall), while Goodridge was without a win (three draws) in his last 13. But Goodridge had clearly come to win, bulldozing forward from the off and never letting his man settle.
Greenidge landed some decent counters, and Goodridge was marked under both eyes in the opener. But Goodridge consistently outworked his man – and Greenidge sportingly joined in the applause when the verdict was announced.
Sole early winner on this Goodwin Boxing show was Northolt southpaw Dennis Wahome, who halted Bulgarian Stefan Slavchev in the second of a scheduled six.
Both were standing off in the first, but in the second Wahome started using his longer reach and raised a bump under Slavchev’s right eye. Slavchev rallied to force Wahome against the ropes – and then abruptly clasped his right arm, indicating to referee Every that he had damaged his elbow. Mr Every signalled the end, and it was announced as a stoppage after 2-30.
Catalin Paraschiveanu, a Romanian based in Milan, began his UK campaign with a six-round win over Islington’s Jordan Grannum, referee John-Lewis scoring 60-54.
Southpaw Paraschiveanu came forward, picking his shots effectively, while Grannum kept on the move and landed the occasional counter (such as a fair uppercut in the fifth). Grannum tried coming forward in the last but the visitor showed he could counter-punch as well (and more frequently).
Adrian Martin (Ingatestone) used his height and reach advantages to score a clear points win over Bulgarian Iliyan Markov, Mr Every scoring the six-rounder 60-55.
Markov tried to come inside and score, but had little success. Martin picked his shots effectively throughout, and raised a bump under Markov’s right eye in the last.
Barking’s Denis Denikajev outscored Carl Turney (Bognor Regis) over four, referee John-Lewis scoring 40-36.
The taller Denikajev pressed all the way, picking his punches. Turney, who picked up a swelling on the left cheek in the first, kept on the move, occasionally switched to southpaw and generally looked to stay out of trouble.
Two debutants came through in four-rounders handled by Mr Every.
Crawley’s James Verbeeten boxed intelligently to take a 40-37 verdict over Kingsteignton’s Jamie Speight, the former undefeated Southern Area featherweight champion.
Verbeeten came forward while Speight circled, looking to counter, and Speight’s face was marking up even in the opener. Verbeeten opened up in the second, landing solid rights to the body, and now there was a swelling on Speight’s left cheek.
Speight landed some left counters in the third and came back in the fourth after shipping a big right to the head. A Speight attack had Veerbeeten on the ropes in the closing stages, but the newcomer was a good winner.
In the show-closer welter Bailey Donald delighted his near-fanatical supporters with a 39-37 win over Lincoln southpaw Sergio Gugliotta.
Gugliotta’s first-round attack seemed to take Donald by surprise but he quickly settled and was fighting his man off in the second – which saw Gugliotta pick up a vertical cut high above the right eye. There was a bump under Donald’s right eye in the third, but he countered effectively as Gugliotta came in.
Donald looked to keep his distance in the last – and when Gugliotta got him against the ropes Donald turned him effectively.
The Verdict Shinkwin’s back – can he be Area champion again?
FULL RESULTS
James Verbeeten (140lbs), 1-0, w pts 4 Jamie Speight (140lbs), 15-38 (2); Geraint Goodridge (168lbs), 3-10-3, w pts 4 Paul Goodridge (167lbs), 4-1; Catalin Paraschiveanu (161lbs), 18-1 (5), w pts 6 Jordan Grannum (164lbs), 5-59-2; Denis Denikajev (145lbs), 4-0-1, w pts 4 Carl Turney (150lbs), 0-8; Dennis Wahome (132lbs), 7-0 (1), w rsf 2 Stefan Slavchev (129lbs), 10-35-2 (4); Liam Shinkwin (144lbs), 8-1-1, w pts 6 Ibrar Riyaz (143lbs), 6-167-4; Bailey Donald (149lbs), 1-0, w pts 4 Sergio Gugliotta (149lbs), 0-5; Adrian Martin (155lbs), 11-1 (3), w pts 6 Iliyan Markov (162lbs), 5-12-2 (3).
