Tag Archives: Mark Lyons

Ozgul-Scriven II – Title On The Line For May 2nd York Hall Rematch

Back in October last year unbeaten Hackney based Turk Siar Ozgul and late replacement opponent Matt Scriven campaigned in one of the closest, all action, battles of the year.

 

It was a true small hall classic that really deserved at least to be nominated for the accolade of ‘Fight of The Year’, if not be the outright winner, however that was not to be as somehow it managed to slip under the radar of the majority of the British media.

 

On Saturday May 2nd, these magnificent warriors will once again enter the arena, at the York Hall in Bethnal Green, London, this time in a ten round contest and with the added incentive of a Championship being on the line – the vacant MBC International Welterweight title – on the Mark Lyons and Billy James-Elliott promoted LORDS OF THE RING event.

 

The October Ozgul-Scriven Battle Boyale was reminiscent of the first of the Mickey Ward-Arturo Gatti trilogy of fights that took place in 2002/3, without doubt one of the all time greatest trilogy of fights this sport has ever witnessed.

 

If Ozgul-Scriven II matches the intensity and drama of their first encounter, we could well have another action filled bout, one that equals any of the Ward-Gatti fights, right here in our own back yard, something no boxing fan, or British sports writer should miss.

 

To give an idea of just how sensational their first showdown was, here’s the write up on the bout from the published report by the Canadian Sports Channel fightnetwork.com.

 

“Fifth bout of the night see London based Turk Siar Ozgul in action against Nottingham’s Matt Scriven.

 

What a fight, without doubt the fight of the night, as both protagonists went to war.

 

Ozgul came out hard and strong, initially putting the Nottingham man on the back foot, however Scriven soon started to exert his authority and then the fireworks really began.

 

By the third round the non stop action started to take it’s toll on the Turkish youngster, which allowed Scriven to land some sensational power shots of his own.

 

The final round was a cracker, Ozgul backed Scriven into a corner and let rip with massive right hands, one of which sent Scriven’s mouth guard flying into the crowd ringside.

 

Once the errant mouth guard was retrieved and the bout restarted it was Scriven who went hard on the attack, one such attack late on in the round see Scriven land a massive right that shook Ozgul to the core, Ozgul sensibly went on the defensive for the remaining seconds to see his way to securing his fifth win.

 

Referee Lee Murtagh scored the bout 39-37 in favour of Ozgul, the correct verdict without doubt, but one that really doesn’t express how great this fight was or how close each and every round was.”

 

Siar Ozgul versus Matt Scriven, for the vacant MBC International Welterweight Championship, headlines the Mark Lyons & Billy James-Elliott Wise Guys Promotions LORDS OF THE RING event, that takes place at the York Hall in Bethnal Green, London on Saturday 2nd May 2015.

Sanctioning for this event will be provided courtesy of the Malta Boxing Commission (MBC) –www.maltaboxingcommission.com

Tickets priced £35 (Standard seating) and £65 (Ringside) are available direct from Siar at the Champions TKO Gym in Hackney – call Mehmet on 07825 618018 – on-line atwww.tkoboxoffice.com or call the TKO ticket line on 07960 850645

Haywood Set For Pepper Showdown On May 2nd

Champions TKO’s Jerome Haywood is set to face Scunthorpe’s Matthew Pepper on the Mark Lyons and Billy James-Elliott Wise Guys Promotions LORDS OF THE RING event, which takes place at York Hall in Bethnal Green, London on Saturday 2nd May 2015.

 

Jerome will be making his return to York Hall, the scene of his successful professional debut in October last year, where he scored a well earned points victory over Rolandas Cesna.

 

Back in October, after a slightly hesitant start, Haywood soon settled down and took the fight to his more experienced opponent, pressuring the big Lithuanian with stiff jabs and heavy rights to the body.

 

Haywood’s work to the body began to take a toll on Cesna, so much so that by mid way through the third Cesna was clearly struggling to cope with the constant punishment to his ribs.

 

In the fourth Haywood stepped up the pressure even further, which in turn forced Cesna to cover up to protect his bruised and battered ribcage.

 

After four excellent rounds Referee Alf Sprung scored the bout 40-38 in favour of Haywood.

 

Haywood’s opponent on May 2nd is Scunthorpe’s Matthew Pepper, who will be making his first visit to the famous home of boxing in the Capital City.

 

Following a training session, under the watchful eyes of his coach Brian O’Shaughnessy at the Champions TKO gym in Hackney, Haywood spoke briefly about the upcoming showdown with Matthew Pepper.

 

“Glad to be fighting again, it’s been six months since my debut fight.

 

After my last fight, I was hoping to get out again as soon as possible and I should have, I was due to fight in March, but had to pull out of that one as I came down with a bug about a week or so before I was due to fight.

 

My first fight, yeah I enjoyed that, I was well prepared for it, he was tough but nothing I couldn’t handle.

 

I don’t know too much about Matthew (Pepper), but we’ve been working hard in the gym, so hopefully I’ll put a good performance in for my fans, who I can’t thank enough for their fantastic support.”

 

Jerome Haywood versus Matthew Pepper features on the Mark Lyons & Billy James-Elliott Wise Guys Promotions LORDS OF THE RING event, that takes place at the York Hall in Bethnal Green, London on Saturday 2nd May 2015.

Sanctioning for this event will be provided courtesy of the Malta Boxing Commission (MBC) –www.maltaboxingcommission.com

Tickets priced £35 (Standard seating) and £65 (Ringside) are available direct from any of the boxers taking part, on-line atwww.tkoboxoffice.com or call the TKO ticket line on 07960 850645

 

Turkish Prospect Ozgul Set For London Showdown With Miekle On May 2nd

 

Champions TKO Gym’s unbeaten Light Heavyweight prospect Onder Ozgul is set to make his fifth professional outing in just over a weeks time, when he takes on the highly entertaining Jody Meikle, from Scunthorpe, in a six round contest, on the Mark Lyons and Billy James-Elliott Wise Guys Promotions LORDS OF THE RING event at York Hall in London on Saturday 2nd May 2015.

Ozgul, has built quite a reputation, as a seriously tough and uncompromising boxer, over the past year or so, following top class victories over the likes of Lithuania’s Dmitrij Kalinovskij, Bighton’s Iain Jackson, Lithuania’s Remigijus Ziausys and most recently over the Czech Republic’s big punching Karel Horejsek.

With a boxing style and approach uncannily similar to that of a certain ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that Ozgul’s Turkish fans have nicknamed their man ‘Little Mike’, a name that the British fans that have seen him in action have started to adopt too.

That aside, Ozgul’s resolve could be mightily tested by Miekle, who last time out scored a good solid draw against Portsmouth bruiser Sam Couzens, no surprise there as the Lincolnshire man not only likes a good old fashioned toe-to-toe slug fest, but also has a very entertaining mischievous streak.

Speaking at the famed Champions TKO Gym in Hackney, Ozgul spoke briefly about the upcoming showdown with the man they call ‘The Entertainer’.

“I’m happy I am fighting a six rounder, I’d be happy if it was an eight, I train for twelve rounds, so six is easy for me.

 

The way we look at it is if you can run a marathon, then running a half marathon is easy, that’s why we work so hard in the gym, so it is easy in the ring.

 

My last fight I trained hard, I trained for twelve rounds then too, the opponent was strong and durable but it was still an easy fight for me.

 

It will be the same next week, I will be ready for whatever Jody Meikle brings, I’ve been told Jody is tough, good that means we’ll have a very good fight.

 

I’m really happy that my brother Siar has got a title fight on May 2nd and even happier that I will be fighting on the undercard of his title fight and hope that everyone comes out and gives us both their full support.

 

I want to thank my sponsors and all those fans that come and support me and my brother (Super Welterweight Siar Ozgul), Thank you for supporting us, on May 2nd you’ll not be disappointed, I will be fighting at my best.”

 

Onder Ozgul versus Jody Meikle features on the undercard of Siar Ozgul – Matt Scriven MBC International Welterweight title fight that headlines the Mark Lyons & Billy James-Elliott Wise Guys Promotions LORDS OF THE RING event, that takes place at the York Hall in Bethnal Green, London on Saturday 2ndMay 2015.

Sanctioning for this event will be provided courtesy of the Malta Boxing Commission (MBC) –www.maltaboxingcommission.com

Tickets priced £35 (Standard seating) and £65 (Ringside) are available direct from any of the boxers taking part, on-line atwww.tkoboxoffice.com or call the TKO ticket line on 07960 850645

Championship Battle Headlines Wise Guys Promotions Inaugural Event On May 2nd

Eminent MMA promoter Mark Lyons has linked up with Britain’s youngest professional boxing promoter, eighteen year old Billy James-Elliott to create a new professional boxing promotions outfit – Wise Guys Promotions.

 

Their first event, titled LORDS OF THE RING, will take place at the famed York Hall, In Bethnal Green, London on Saturday, 2nd May 2015, and will be headlined by the vacant MBC International Welterweight Championship battle between Siar Ozgul and Matt Scriven.

 

Hackney based Ozgul and Nottingham’s Scriven are old foes, having fought each other as recently as October last year.

 

It was an all action, closely fought small hall classic, an enthralling, intense four rounds of toe-to-toe action, so much so that when Scriven approached both the event promoters and Ozgul’s management asking if he could be considered as Ozgul’s opponent for the title fight, all parties agreed in an instant.

 

Who wouldn’t, these two put on a magnificent display of the pugilistic arts, not too dissimilar to the classic Mickey Ward-Arturo Gatti trilogy of fights from 2002/3.

 

Control of the fight switched between the two warriors throughout, both gave their all for every second of every round, much to the appreciation of those in attendance, as was clear when the bout was voted the Fight of the Night and a clear contender for the end of year Fight of the Year accolade.

 

On that occasion it was Ozgul that rightly emerged victorious, by a 39-37 point margin, however that score line just didn’t reflect just how close each round was or give any insight in to just how thrilling the bout was.

 

Main support, for the Ozgul-Scriven Championship bout, sees Bradford’s Tasif Khan return to York Hall, the scene of his sensational first round stoppage victory over Richard Voros in January.

 

On May 2nd Khan challenges Czech Republic’s Patrik Bartos for the International Masters Bantamweight title.

 

Adding an added element of intrigue to this particular match up, is that both Khan and Bartos have a recent opponent in common, Ladislav Miko, what’s more both stopped Miko early in their bouts, Bartos late in the second and Khan with a sensational one minute and fifteen second of the first round knockout.

 

Heading up the support card sees Chester’s WBF Intercontinental Super Bantamweight Champion Paul Economides against Doncaster’s former British Super Flyweight Champion Andy Bell.

 

Economides comes into the bout high in confidence, following a sensational second round stoppage victory, over former Commonwealth title challenger Isaac Quaye, just last month.

 

What makes this victory so special is that Economides became the first person to stop the gutsy thirty seven fight veteran, a major feat indeed considering Quaye had previously fought the likes of British and Commonwealth Champion Don Broadhurst, British, Commonwealth and European Champion Kevin Satchell and WBO European Champion Iain Butcher.

 

Another top class match up sees Siar Ozgul’s older sibling Onder in action against Scunthorpe’s highly entertaining Jody Miekle.

 

Ozgul, who is unbeaten in four pro outings, has been building quite a reputation for himself, following top class victories over the likes of Lithuania’s Dmitrij Kalinovskij, Bighton’s Iain Jackson, Lithuania’s Remigijus Ziausys and most recently over the Czech Republic’s big punching Karel Horejsek.

 

Siar and Onder Ozgul’s Champions TKO Gym mate Jerome Haywood is set to make his second pro outing, against Scunthorpe’s Matthew Pepper.

 

Haywood came through a seriously tough test on his debut, when he faced and beat the highly experienced Lithuanian bruiser Rolandas Cesna at York Hall back in October.

 

Another of the Champions TKO squad, British #1 and reigning MBC International Super Bantamweight Champion Marianne ‘Golden Girl’ Marston will be undertaking her final domestic bout, before starting her preparations for her World title challenge against Australia’s WIBA Champion Shannon O’Connell, which takes place later this summer.

 

Back in October Marston clinically beat then European #3 and World #31 ranked Marianna Gulyas, to secure the coveted MBC International Crown, by a shut out unanimous points margin.

 

Former BBBofC Welsh Champion Lee Churcher will be making his first visit to the famed York Hall on May 2nd, where he will face a yet to be announced opponent.

 

Churcher comes into the fight off the back of a run of five solid wins, since last losing to Costas Osben back in July 2011.

 

Sensational unbeaten Featherweight David Agadzhanyan also makes his first visit to London on May 2nd.

 

Agadzhanyan, who has three stoppage victories from his four bouts to date, won the battle of the undefeated in his last fight, taking Czech Republic’s Daniel Bazo’s coveted ‘O’ with a superb 39-37 point victory in Liverpool in March.

 

Eric Mokonzo will be looking to secure his first pro victory, following his debut loss against Darren McKenna, when he faces debut boy Andy Cona, whilst Luton’s unbeaten Manny Muhammad, who was originally due to fight Mokonzo, will now face a yet to be named opponent.

 

On May 2nd Finsbury Park’s Mark ‘The Flash’ Alexander returns to York Hall, the scene of his magnificent third round stoppage victory over Lithuania’s Tadas Stulginkas back in October.

 

Making their pro debuts on May 2nd will be Nottingham’s Garfield Mushore and Canning Town’s Kimberley Leah.

 

Siar Ozgul versus Matt Scriven, for the vacant MBC International Welterweight Championship, headlines the Mark Lyons & Billy James-Elliott Wise Guys Promotions LORDS OF THE RING event, that takes place at the York Hall in Bethnal Green, London on Saturday 2nd May 2015.

Sanctioning for this event will be provided courtesy of the Malta Boxing Commission (MBC) – www.maltaboxingcommission.com

Tickets priced £35 (Standard seating) and £65 (Ringside) are available direct from any of the boxers taking part, on-line atwww.tkoboxoffice.com or call the TKO ticket line on 07960 850645