NIGHT OF THE AWAY FIGHTER: REPORT
At heavyweight, Phil Williams got a rare win over Jake Caswell and jumped up onto the turnbuckle to celebrate. It’s a well deserved win for a man who appears remarkably regularly for a heavyweight. The 36-year-old Swindon man took a 39-38 points decision and looked thoroughly overjoyed. He’s booked to appear again at York Hall next week too, against unbeaten three-bout novice Jamie Smith.
Away corner favourite, Team Southpaw Jab’s Lewis van Poetsch was in fine form, entering the ring dressed as David Jason’s iconic Only Fools and Horses character, ‘Del Boy’, the theme tune rang out and fans lapped it up. There was attention to detail in Poochi’s performance too, as his trainer and manager Richard Farnan walked behind him in a Rodney-Trotter-style camouflage smock.
The entertainment didn’t stop there though and van Poetsch was in the mood for an upset. Stepping in against unbeaten Bromley man, Jack Owen, Poochi covered up and caught plenty of Owen’s shots, often finding a home for his own overhand right.
In the third Poochi seemed to have Owen a little hurt and more than a little concerned. One of those overhand rights slammed home hard and the young prospect looked visibly uncomfortable. He came back strongly in the final round though and seemed to think he’d done enough to win the bout. The referee ruled 38-38, a draw – and Poochi immediately collapsed with cramp in his legs, receiving ‘medical treatment’ in the ring, as a confused MC explained.
With those two fights following in quick succession, ‘The Camden Caretaker’ Robbie Chapman may have thought it was a night for the away corner, but quickly had his hopes dashed. 6-0 Oli Edwards was returning to the ring for the first time since 2017 and consistently backed Chapman up, landing hard shots to head and body. Chapman landed some countering right hands of his own, but never worried Edwards, who took the decision 40-36.
At light heavyweight, Bryn Wain also did the away corner proud. He lost to Paul Brown over eight rounds, dropping a 79-74 decision, but the contest was more evenly matched than that suggests.
It was an ill tempered bout between the two and Wain looked to walk Brown down throughout. Brown’s work was slightly higher quality, but Wain repeatedly forced him back to the ropes and made a nuisance of himself.
In the fourth, ‘Bomber’ Brown looked badly hurt as Wain backed him onto the ropes yet again, landing a hard hook upstairs. The London-born man looked to finish off his Kent adversary, sinking more shots into a hurt Brown. Wain’s gas tank failed him though and the renewed assault quickly turned into a leaning clinch, giving Bomber the time to recover – and he did quite quickly.
From there on ‘Bomber’ managed to put his stamp on the fight. Getting the best of most exchanges, albeit with a few more ropey moments. 0-31 Wain will be frustrated having come so close to his first win in the professional ring.
There were debuts for Andrei Santa, Timon Douglin and Liam Wiseman. Well-supported Wiseman fell prey to another unlikely winner, Paul Cummings. Part way through the first round, Cummings landed a hard right hand and dropped the pink-clad debutant hard.
Then, an unusual conversation seemed to take place between Wiseman and his trainer father, Daron Wiseman. Rather than turning to reassure the referee that he was okay, the young man faced his father and removed his gumshield. The referee promptly waved the bout off. It was a highly unusual end to a much touted debut and there’s sure to be an inquest in the Wiseman camp.
Meanwhile, Cummings enjoyed his role as the pantomime villain, celebrating and taunting Wiseman’s fans, who hurled plenty of abuse back from the upstairs balcony.
Andrei Santa’s debut went more straight-forwardly as he took a 40-36 decision over Hull’s Luke Fash. Timon Douglin looked very impressive against another well travelled Yorkshireman, Harry Matthews, taking a 39-37 win.
Joe Roswell looked more experienced than he had any right to, boxing off an impressive second win against Cristian Navarez. Navarez boxed very, very conservatively but Roswell showed balance, poise and shot selection to take a 40-36 win.
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