THE famous Liverpool Stadium (gone but not forgotten) was known as the “Graveyard of Champions.” Maybe York Hall should be dubbed the “Challenger’s Nightmare.” For the third time in eight days, a challenger was denied the title he seemed to have won, Southern Area super-welterweight champion Sean Robinson being adjudged to have drawn with Slough’s John Brennan after 10 good rounds.
Referee Kieran McCann scored it 95 points each – and while I admire a referee who finds a winner in every round, I was surprised he made it five apiece. For me the taller Brennan used his height and reach advantages well, and Robinson (Seven Kings) was rarely able to get inside and unload.
Robinson stayed cool, watching for opportunities for raids – leap inside, land a few and get away – and he certainly had his moments. But he had to take stick on the ropes in the second and was staggered by a right in the third, grabbing for safety as Brennan followed up.
Brennan came forward behind the long jab, while Robinson looked to counter. Robinson landed a decent right in the ninth, but Brennan came straight back at him – and Brennan was walking his man down in a gruelling last session, Robinson hitting back when he got close. It was a blow for Brennan, who lost a challenge to Asinia Byfield for the same title in this ring in February 2017.
Southpaw Deano Richardson (Hammersmith) stopped Sergey Martirosyan, an Armenian based in Russia, in the fourth of a scheduled six.
The visitor tried but Richardson dominated throughout, picking his shots effectively. Martirosyan was cut in the corner of the right eyebrow in the second, and in the fourth a left hook had him in trouble on the ropes. Richardson followed up quickly, and referee Chas Coakley waved it off at 2-59.
Quickest winner on this Goodwin Boxing bill was Bromley cruiser Ellis Zorro, who despatched Poland’s Pawel Strykowski in one minute 56 seconds of a scheduled four.
Zorro landed a right to the head, and Strykowski held. Zorro landed another right, with the same result, and the third right dropped Strykowski in his own corner. Referee Coakley counted to four, then waved it off, leaving Zorro the winner by technical count-out – Strykowski was examined on the canvas, then sat on his stool before leaving the ring unaided.
Paul Cummings (Warminster), loser of his last 24, ruined the debut of ex-pro footballer Kieran Joseph, taking referee Lee Every’s 39-37 verdict over four.
Cummings used his height and reach advantages, scoring well with long jabs. Joseph had the right idea, trying to get inside, but was rarely able to do so.
Someone else who doesn’t win many is Lydney’s Lewis van Poetsch – who caused a mild surprise by holding Jack Owen to a four-round draw, referee Every scoring 38-38.
A van Poetsch right cut Owen’s left eyebrow in the first, and Owen was not allowed out for the second until the doctor had made a careful inspection. Van Poetsch made the eye his target, and the cut reopened in the second – van Poetsch got through with rights but Owen rallied, coming forward and forcing van Poetsch to cover up. The draw looked fair.
Super-feather Mark Butler celebrated his 26th birthday with a four-round win over Swindon’s Joe Beeden, referee Coakley scoring 39-37.
Butler dominated the first half – though he was wrestled over in the opener – but Beeden had some success with counters in the third and fourth. Beeden finished with a mark below the left eye, and after the announcement of the verdict Butler’s fans sang “Happy Birthday.”
Robbie Chapman (Chalk Farm) outscored Germany’s Terry Zunke in a hard-fought four, referee McCann scoring 39-37.
They took it in turns to come forward, and both blazed back after being tagged. Chapman was pinned on the ropes in the third and fourth, but hit back – and a Chapman attack in the last was answered with a big right.
No weights were announced for this one – the MC told me that there had been a significant discrepancy, and “an agreement had been reached.”
Ryan Walker (Newham) came back from losing his unbeaten record to Michael Ramabeletesa here last November, in an English title bid, and clearly outpointed Hungary’s Laszlo Szoke over six, referee Every scoring 60-54.
In other sixes Mark Little (Romford) beat Swindon’s Paul Williams by 58-57 (McCann) and Jerome Campbell (Kingsbury) beat Lee Connelly (Killamarsh) by 60-55 (Every).
In fours, Mr Every had debutant Jordan Dujon beating Southwark’s Victor Edagha by 40-37; and there were 40-36 wins for Bobby Woods (Uxbridge) over Blackburn’s Naheem Chaudhry (McCann) and Northolt’s Dennis Wahome over Reading’s Ibrar Riyaz (Coakley).
The Verdict Yet another challenger deserves a rematch.
FULL RESULTS
Sean Robinson (153lbs), 9-0-1, drew pts 10 John Brennan (152lbs), 11-5-2-1NC (4); Robbie Chapman 5-0, w pts 4 Terry Zunke 1-1 (1); Paul Cummings(158lbs), 2-34, w pts 4 Kieran Joseph (157), 0-1; Mark Butler (131lbs), 2-0 (1), w pts 4 Joe Beeden (132lbs), 2-64-1 (1); Bobby Woods (142lbs), 2-0, w pts 4 Naheem Chaudhry (142lbs), 2-48-1 (1); Jordan Dujon (156lbs), 1-0, w pts 4 Victor Edagha (161lbs), 1-60-2 (1); Ellis Zorro (198lbs), 6-0 (3), w tco 1 Pawel Strykowski (200lbs), 2-8; Mark Little (204lbs), 12-0 (4), w pts 6 Phil Williams (243lbs), 2-13-1 (1); Jerome Campbell (135lbs), 6-0 (1), w pts 6 Lee Connelly (138lbs), 7-46-3; Deano Richardson (156lbs), 10-0 (7), w rsf 4 Sergey Martirosyan (159lbs), 2-5 (1); Jack Owen (170lbs), 1-0-1, d pts 4Lewis van Poetsch (173lbs), 9-104-2 (2); Dennis Wahome (138lbs), 6-0, w pts 4 Ibrar Riyaz (143lbs), 6-194-4 (3); Ryan Walker (125lbs), 9-1 (1), w pts 6 Laszlo Szoke (122lbs), 2-4 (2).
