Prizefighter: Ringside !
Posted: 21 Nov 2010, 15:04
Prizefighter Super-Featherweights
By Sean Pollock
As the doors opened to York Hall in Bethnal Green on a typically cold November night, crowds flooded in and were met by event mastermind Barry Hearn. Little did they know they had just entered what would be the site of a brilliant exhibition of boxing. In the aftermath of a heavyweight disappointment for the British fight scene it would take eight small warriors to produce something special.
Leading into the tournament Gary Sykes held the bookmaker’s favour and also that of columnist Steve Bunce who tipped the Dewsbury champion claiming “he (Sykes) will be a tough fight for anyone, but in the three round format it’s anyone’s”. The line-up was the strongest ever produced, but the majority reckoned the £32,000 prize fund would be heading home with Sykes or Choi, the night was laced with surprises…
Quarter-finals
The arena was filled and the stage was set. A chorus of boos and Hove’s Ben Murphy (7-3-1) entered the ring as the adversary of crowd favourite Choi Tseveenpurev (29-4). Choi fans were out in their numbers with many wearing the Mongolian’s trademark headband and they made their voices heard for the fearless 39 year old. London based Tseveenpurev did not fail to impress in his first fight and edged past the aggressive Murphy to win on points in a hard-hitting war.
Liverpudlian Derry Mathews (23-4) strolled to the ring looking focused amidst a flurry of support from travelling fans. Opponent, Gary McArthur (15-1), a previous Prizefighter semi-finalist, started confidently on the front foot forcing ‘Dirty’ Derry to jab and move. The Liverpool man settled magnificently into his back pedalling roll landing with hard straight shots and began countering wisely with the left hook. Clydebank’s southpaw soon found himself on wobbly legs and was dropped in the first and second. The one sided bout was stopped in the 3rd round and Mathews had set up a mouth-watering clash with old rival Choi.
Unbeaten Gary Sykes (16-0) took a huge risk entering Prizefighter and in his opening clash with Stoke’s Scott Lawton (27-6), it paid off. The British title holder easily dismantled his 34 year old opponent with thrilling combinations and looked every bit his ‘favourite’ status with a convincing decision win.
Next on the agenda was Stevie Bell taking on Welshman Gary Buckland. At ringside sat light heavyweight prospect Tony Bellew, who roared instructions to friend and Coronation Street actor Bell, “Jab and move Bellos, don’t stand there!”. Buckland was on the back of a stoppage loss to the talented John Murray and looked determined to beat the bell with some powerful shots, pun intended. Stevie ‘Bellos’ used his accomplished amateur style to jab and move, keeping the bullish Cardiff man at bay. Despite, Bellew’s best efforts to rally his colleague to a fight back, powerful hooks in the second and third earned Buckland a points victory.
Semi-finals
Mathews got his revenge
In 2008, Choi Tseveenpurev devastated Derry Mathews and took his WBU title. Now, in an enthralling match-up, fate had brought the pair together again. The atmosphere was electric as the chants of Choi fans collided with the thunderous roar of the scouse supporters. Two years had passed and a stone glare from Mathews met the ever smiling Mongolian, a chance for redemption had arrived.
Read More here... http://www.spam.com/2010/ ... -ringside/
Thanks lads.
By Sean Pollock
As the doors opened to York Hall in Bethnal Green on a typically cold November night, crowds flooded in and were met by event mastermind Barry Hearn. Little did they know they had just entered what would be the site of a brilliant exhibition of boxing. In the aftermath of a heavyweight disappointment for the British fight scene it would take eight small warriors to produce something special.
Leading into the tournament Gary Sykes held the bookmaker’s favour and also that of columnist Steve Bunce who tipped the Dewsbury champion claiming “he (Sykes) will be a tough fight for anyone, but in the three round format it’s anyone’s”. The line-up was the strongest ever produced, but the majority reckoned the £32,000 prize fund would be heading home with Sykes or Choi, the night was laced with surprises…
Quarter-finals
The arena was filled and the stage was set. A chorus of boos and Hove’s Ben Murphy (7-3-1) entered the ring as the adversary of crowd favourite Choi Tseveenpurev (29-4). Choi fans were out in their numbers with many wearing the Mongolian’s trademark headband and they made their voices heard for the fearless 39 year old. London based Tseveenpurev did not fail to impress in his first fight and edged past the aggressive Murphy to win on points in a hard-hitting war.
Liverpudlian Derry Mathews (23-4) strolled to the ring looking focused amidst a flurry of support from travelling fans. Opponent, Gary McArthur (15-1), a previous Prizefighter semi-finalist, started confidently on the front foot forcing ‘Dirty’ Derry to jab and move. The Liverpool man settled magnificently into his back pedalling roll landing with hard straight shots and began countering wisely with the left hook. Clydebank’s southpaw soon found himself on wobbly legs and was dropped in the first and second. The one sided bout was stopped in the 3rd round and Mathews had set up a mouth-watering clash with old rival Choi.
Unbeaten Gary Sykes (16-0) took a huge risk entering Prizefighter and in his opening clash with Stoke’s Scott Lawton (27-6), it paid off. The British title holder easily dismantled his 34 year old opponent with thrilling combinations and looked every bit his ‘favourite’ status with a convincing decision win.
Next on the agenda was Stevie Bell taking on Welshman Gary Buckland. At ringside sat light heavyweight prospect Tony Bellew, who roared instructions to friend and Coronation Street actor Bell, “Jab and move Bellos, don’t stand there!”. Buckland was on the back of a stoppage loss to the talented John Murray and looked determined to beat the bell with some powerful shots, pun intended. Stevie ‘Bellos’ used his accomplished amateur style to jab and move, keeping the bullish Cardiff man at bay. Despite, Bellew’s best efforts to rally his colleague to a fight back, powerful hooks in the second and third earned Buckland a points victory.
Semi-finals
Mathews got his revenge
In 2008, Choi Tseveenpurev devastated Derry Mathews and took his WBU title. Now, in an enthralling match-up, fate had brought the pair together again. The atmosphere was electric as the chants of Choi fans collided with the thunderous roar of the scouse supporters. Two years had passed and a stone glare from Mathews met the ever smiling Mongolian, a chance for redemption had arrived.
Read More here... http://www.spam.com/2010/ ... -ringside/
Thanks lads.