Tag Archives: Michael Kelly

boxing, UK Boxing

McGivern Secures Light Heavy Title the Hard Way at Historic Clacton-on-Sea Event.

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Ringside Report: Gianluca Di Caro

 

On Saturday night at the Princess Theatre in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, Professional Boxing made a most welcome return to the seaside town after almost 80 years, when Colchester’s Tommy Jacobs presented his latest boxing promotion, aptly titled ‘History’.

 

The previous pro boxing in the town, back in February 1939, see Ireland’s Mike Kavan beat London’s Charlie Mack at the then recently opened Butlin’s holiday camp.

 

Clacton is a town that’s steeped in boxing history, although since the second world war mainly of the Amateur variety, in fact Tommy Jacobs himself fought in the town on numerous occasions during his Amateur career and one of the greats of the sport is immortalized by the restaurant at the bowling alley on Clacton Pier, Armstrong’s, which is named after the American boxer John Henry Armstrong who beat British champion Ernie Roderick also in 1939.

 

It seemed rather appropriate that the very first of the pro boxing contests of this new era should feature the current World Boxing Foundation (WBF) International and European Champion, as well as promoter of the event, Tommy Jacobs, in a non-Championship six round contest against Dundalk, Ireland’s Michael Kelly.

 

Right from the opening bell Jacobs took to the fight to his highly experienced opponent, albeit with just tentative testing jabs, but as the round progressed the action became more full on, with Jacobs backing up Kelly on to the ropes before letting rip with slick combinations to body and head.

 

Kelly, a previous multi-title challenger in his own right, initially covered up and absorbed the shots but soon began to counter effectively.

 

More of the same early in the second, although must credit Kelly for his slick responses that prevented Jacobs from having quite the same level of success in the first stanza, however as the clock entered the final 20 seconds or so of the round Jacobs started letting rip with big shots to the body with increasing success, so much so that literally in the final seconds Kelly was forced to take a knee after a particularly vicious left.

 

Unfortunately Kelly struggled to catch his breath and rise to his feet in time to beat Referee Lee Murtagh’s count, official time of the stoppage being 2 Minutes and 56 Seconds of the second round.

 

Following the fight Tommy Jacobs announced that the reason he undertook a non-championship six rounder and not the originally planned WBF Intercontinental title fight against Albanian Xhuljo Vrenozi, was that he has been proposed to potentially challenge Australia’s two time World Champion Sam Soliman for the World Boxing Foundation (WBF) World title in December.

 

The second bout of the night see Dean Porter making his professional debut against Liverpool’s Steven Sunners (2-0-0).

What a cracking all action affair, from start to finish both lads really went for it hammer and tongs.

 

After four scintillating closely fought rounds it came as no surprise that the result was going to be close, and close it was, Referee Lee Murtagh’s scorecard reading 39-38 in favour of Liverpool’s Steven Sunners.

 

Next up was a four round Featherweight contest between Clacton’s very own Ben ‘The Claxican’ Cook and Belfast’s Chris Wong, both of whom were making their pro debuts.

 

The first couple of rounds, as with Porter-Sunners, were so closely fought that it wasn’t easy to call the winner of each round, however in the 3rd the decision was made a little easier after Cook landed a cracking body-shot late in the round to send the Irishman to his knees.

 

After four highly entertaining all action rounds Referee Lee Murtagh’s scorecard read 40-37 in favour of local hero Ben Cook.

 

As with the previous contest this was an all action thriller of epic proportions, so much so that it was without doubt it was the Fight of the Night.

 

Have to say really enjoyed this fight and hopefully after this pair get a few fights under their belts there’ll be a rematch as I would love to see these two in action against each other again, it was that good.

 

The fourth fight of the night see Ipswich Super Middleweight Rob Elden making his pro debut against Liverpool’s Lee Cooper.

 

Elden started hard and fast, taking the fight to his more experienced foe and letting rip with big shots to body and head. Initially Cooper covered up but soon started countering with some big shots of his own, however in doing so left an opening in his defence that the Ipswich man was quick to capitalise on with a big right to the head to send Copper to the canvas.

 

Copper made it to his feet and action resumed in very much the same vein, with Elden backing Copper up before letting rip with big shots, Cooper once again responded with big shots of his own. As the round approached the second minute, once again Elden found a chink in Cooper’s armour and this time landed a big right to the body to send the Liverpudlian to the canvas for a second and final time. Official time of the stoppage was one minute and fifty-nine seconds of the first round.

 

The headline fight of the night see Hove’s Navid Iran and Scotland’s Ben McGivern battling it out for the vacant Professional Boxing Council (PBC) Silver International Light Heavyweight title.

 

Battling it out is the correct term; this was a Battle Royale of epic proportions.

 

Right from the off Iran took the fight to McGivern, backing the Scot onto the ropes and letting rip with a flurry of big left and rights. McGivern sensibly covered up and waited an opportunity to counter, which he did with good effect once the opportunity arose.

 

However it wasn’t enough to prevent Iran coming back with a similar forceful attack almost immediately. McGivern once again managed to counter and initially take control.

 

As the round progressed Iran landed a couple of cracking shots that again forced McGivern to cover up. Irann kept up the pressure with big shots, whilst McGivern caught most with his gloves a big right got through the Scots guard, shaking him to the core.

 

How McGivern made it to the end of the round, I just don’t know, his legs were well and truly gone, but somehow he did.

 

Round two see Iran come out hard and fast, however McGivern was ready for the assault, again initially covering up but this time instead of just countering and covering, he spun his opponent and went hard on the attack himself.

 

Round three see McGivern taking the fight to Iran, which led to some great technical boxing ensuing from both protagonists.

 

The next few rounds were fought in similar vein. The final round though was an out and out war; both boxers throwing caution to the wind and an all out slugfest ensued for the entire final three minutes – what an exhilarating round.

 

After eight fantastic rounds of boxing it was Ben McGivern declared victor by scoring referee Lee Murtagh, by a 79-74 points margin.

 

Have to say whilst definitely the right result, the result just doesn’t convey just how close each and every round, but the first, was. These two really put on a magnificent show and was a serious contender for the Fight of the Night award.

 

What a great event to welcome pro boxing back to Clacton-on-Sea after a close to eighty-year hiatus, a return clearly appreciated by fans of the pugilistic arts who had packed the historic venue to the hilt almost an hour before the event was scheduled to begin.

boxing, UK Boxing

Fight Report: Thomas and Dudzinski Impress on Debuts as Preece, McIntyre and McGivern Score Big Wins In Cardiff

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Report by Gianluca Di Caro

 

Ben McGivern vs. Ben Hough
Carl Thomas vs. Kyle McNicholas
Kacper Dudzinski vs. Michael Kelly
Levi Griffiths vs. Scott McIntyre
Liam Preece vs. Steffan Hughes

Photographs courtesy of Thomas Jones

 

 

On Saturday I made the trip west from my London home to the beautiful city of Cardiff for the Owen Watkins promoted event at the Ice Arena Wales.

 

 

 

 

The event was due to be headlined by the much anticipated all Welsh Heavyweight title clash between Hari Miles and Dorian Darch, for the World Boxing Foundation (WBF) European Heavyweight Championship. However the fight had to be postponed as Darch was unable to take part due to a suspension he received following a fight on a different event a few weeks prior.

 

 

 

 

Despite this setback Owen Watkins had decided that the show must go on and I for one am pleased he made that choice, as the planned undercard featured a number of top class amateurs I have been looking forward to watching making their professional debuts.

 

 

 

 

First up was debuting Carl Thomas versus Kyle McNicholas in a four round Light Heavyweight Contest.

 

 

 

Both lads started really well exhibiting their respective boxing skills.

 

 

 

 

As the round progressed Thomas stepped up the pressure, backing McNicholas onto the ropes and began letting rip with shots to the body and head of the Liverpudlian.

 

 

 

 

As the round progressed into the final minute Thomas landed a cracking right to the head that shook McNicholas to the core, Thomas followed up with a left to the body followed almost immediately with a big left to the body that sent McNicholas to the canvas.

 

 

 

 

Surprisingly McNicholas made the count, they sure breed them tough on Merseyside, as that was a vicious body shot just below the lower rib, you just don’t see people get up after those that often.

 

 

 

 

On the restart Thomas went straight back on the attack, firstly firing off a stiff jab followed by another stinging left to the body and a double right to the head.

 

 

 

 

Thomas kept up the pressure, peppering McNicholas with a wicked body-head combination followed by another good stiff jab to back McNicholas into a neutral corner before letting rip with a sensational left hook to the body, that sent McNicholas down for a second time.

 

 

 

 

Referee Roger Riley began the count and as it just reached the eight count point McNicholas began to try and rise without success, leaving the referee no option but to wave the fight off just as the bell tolled to signal the end of the first round.

 

 

 

I’m pleased to say that McNicholas was perfectly OK and did get to his feet shortly after.

 

 

 

 

My final thoughts on this particular fight are; it may have only lasted one round but what a cracking round it was.

 

 

 

 

Next up see Kacper Dudzinski making his pro debut against Belfast’s Michael Kelly in a four round Super Welterweight contest.

 

 

 

 

Right from the off Dudzinski got behind his seriously strong jab and began controlling the proceedings with fast hands and stiff double jabs.

 

 

 

 

Kelly is no mug, not by a long shot, he’s as savvy as they come, but even he had to concede to taking a defensive stance and patiently wait for any opportunity, no matter how slender, to counter, which to be honest were few and far between.

 

 

 

Dudzinski seriously impressed against Kelly and has a fantastic future in the sport.

 

 

 

 

It may have been his debut, but based on his performance on Saturday night, against a former genuine title challenger, I reckon he’ll go all the way to the top and deserves it too, anyone who can keep Kelly on the back foot the way Dudzinski did for virtually the full four rounds is without doubt something special.

 

 

 

 

Don’t get me wrong Kelly landed some cracking shots but Dudzinski’s sensationally fast hand speed and superb defence kept those opportunities to the bare minimum.

 

 

 

 

Nice little touch from Kelly late in the final round, following a ‘matrix style’ reaction move, that almost prevented him touching a glove down, however, much to his annoyance he received a count from referee Chris Kelly, although Kelly was convinced he’d actually had avoided his glove touching the canvas, but instead of standing there and protesting he dropped down and proceeded to do push ups throughout the count to show his disapproval, much to the delight of the crowd.

 

 

 

 

After four brilliant rounds it came as no surprise that it was Dudzinski whose hand was held aloft – the official result showed Dudzinski scoring his maiden pro victory by a 40-35 points margin.

 

 

 

 

Next up was Ben McGivern versus Ben Hough in a four round Cruiserweight contest.

 

 

 

 

What a fight, McGivern mainly bossing the proceedings, forcing Hough on to the back foot as well as the ropes for a good chunk of the first stanza. Hough may have been on the defensive for a good part of the first but when the opportunities arose he took them in style.

 

 

 

 

It was virtually a complete turnaround in Round Two, with Hough wrestling control and putting McGivern on the back foot, and ropes, similar to the way the Scot had bossed the first round.

 

 

 

 

The third stanza was a much closer fought affair, so much so I found it hard to split them, points wise.

 

 

 

 

The fourth started out more or less as the third ended, with both protagonists going for it hammer and tongs, but as the Round progressed McGivern stepped up the pace enough to not only secure the round, but also the victory.

 

 

 

 

After four sensational all action rounds, as I gave away above, it was McGivern that came away victorious, referee Roger Riley scoring the excellent contest 39-37 in favour of the Scotsman.

 

 

 

 

Following the fight both boxers agreed to a rematch, which I have been reliably informed is likely to take place in Liverpool on September 8th – put the date in your diary this is a fight no one should miss!

 

 

 

 

The penultimate fight of the night see Blackwood, South Wales’ Liam Preece versus very, very late replacement Pentrefoelas, North Wales’ Steffan Hughes in an all Welsh contest.

 

 

 

 

What a corker this fight was, it was an all action thriller from start right through to the final bell.

 

 

 

 

Considering Preece had a considerable weight disadvantage to deal with, he really went for it, taking the fight to his more experienced, and heavier, opponent.

 

 

 

 

Preece boxed confidently not only when on the attack but also when defending against the pinpoint accurate exocets launched by Hughes.

 

 

 

 

Preece was impressive throughout, and I’m sure it didn’t surprise anyone in the Ice Arena Wales when referee Chris Kelly’s scorecard was read out as a 40-36 points victory for the South Wales Lad.

 

 

 

 

The final pro fight of the night pitted highly rated former amateur star Port Talbot’s Levi Griffiths versus Liverpool’s Scott McIntyre.

 

 

 

 

Griffiths is so slick, the classy youngster began well and landed some stinging shots, which forced McIntyre to switch to ‘plan B’ early on in an attempt to keep on the inside to prevent the Welshman from getting his big shots off.

 

 

 

 

McIntyre’s plan B may not have been pretty, but boy oh boy it was highly effective.

 

 

 

 

After the initial ‘open’ period, which allowed the slick Welshman to achieve a good level of success, the majority of the fight could have taken place in a phone box.

 

 

 

 

McIntyre clearly had no intention of giving Griffiths any opportunity to let rip with any big shots, he just kept him tied up throughout, sometimes by foul means, so much so that after numerous warnings for holding or not breaking when told, referee Roger Riley deducted a point, however even that point deduction wasn’t going to prevent the Liverpool man from securing the victory, the official score being 39-36.

 

 

 

 

Have to say, whilst personally disappointed that the Miles-Darch WBF European title fight didn’t take place, promoter Owen Watkins had put together such a top class support card that I, as well as am sure everyone else in attendance had their Pugilistic Appetite well and truly sated by the fare on offer and look forward to his next promotion, which will take place at the Cwrt Herbert Leisure Centre in Neath on the 22nd September.

boxing, UK Boxing

Fight Report: Fireworks In Liverpool – Turner & McConville In KO Form, Gallagher & Kennerdale Score Impressive Victories.

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Ringside Report by Gianluca Di Caro

 

 

On Friday evening, just 24 hours before local hero Tony Bellew’s showdown with David Haye, Merseyside fight fans turned out in force for a little pugilistic aperitif at Hanger 34 in Liverpool for an event hosted by local promoter Kyle Gallagher.

 

Boy oh boy were they in for a cracking night of boxing to whet the appetite for the big fight, as in terms of action and drama the fights themselves were quite possibly not that far off being on par with those from the 02 in London the following night.

 

Heading up the event was local unbeaten prospect Dayle Gallagher, in action against Northern Ireland’s Michael Kelly, however as the Liverpool lad had elected to open up the professional element of the show, for a change I’m starting the report from the first fight rather than last.

 

Right from the off Gallagher took centre ring and began to pressure his more experienced opponent. Kelly though used his vast experience to good effect to contain the fast starting scouser.

 

As the round progressed opportunities arose for Gallagher to let rip with some cracking body-shots, Kelly though is well schooled defensively wise, which prevented the young prospect getting too many opportunities before the end of the round.

 

Round two was a much more open affair, so much so that there was some great toe-to-toe action, much to the delight of the assembled crowd.

 

Gallagher started to get into a good flow in the third, often backing Kelly up before letting rip with short sharp flurries to body and head. The Irishman held his ground and comfortably boxed his way out of trouble on numerous occasions.

 

More of the same in the fourth, albeit being fought at higher pace compared to the earlier rounds, Gallagher backing Kelly up before letting rip with combinations to body and head, as before Kelly countered with good effect.

 

With the fans egging their man on, the pace in the final minute or so was nothing short of frenetic, with both men landing some seriously heavy shots as they slugged it out.

 

After four highly entertaining rounds, it was Dayle Gallagher’s hand held aloft by Referee Matt Scriven, who scored the bout 40-37.

 

Following Gallagher-Kelly see local lad Jonny McConville making his professional debut against Northern Ireland’s Phil Townley.

 

What a fight, McConville really was impressive in his controlled approach, taking the fight to the Irishman and dictating the proceedings for much of the time.

 

Considering it was his debut pro contest, the youngster had the confidence to showcase his skills to great effect, throughout the fight McConville was able to cut off the ring in style before landing some classy combinations as well as some seriously big shots.

 

Don’t get me wrong it wasn’t all one way traffic, Townley is always game for a good scrap and was more than happy to trade shots, landing some crackers of his own, but it was the young Liverpool lad that was definitely in control.

 

Townley got cut from a big punch late in the third, which seemed to ignite the blue touch paper for the young Merseysider, who noticeably stepped up the pace.

 

In the final round McConville kept up the pressure, backing his opponent up on numerous occasions before letting rip with big shots, followed by some classy combinations.

 

In the final thirty seconds of so of the round McConville stepped up the pace once more and backed the Irishman onto the ropes before letting rip with a torrent of power shots, Townley struggled to counter so opted to cover up, with no counter punches in sight from the Irishman, referee Matt Scriven had no option but to step in and stop the fight on the two minute and forty five second mark.

 

Next up was the highly anticipated Heavyweight bout between Sean Turner (1-0-0) and Belfast’s debuting Ryan Kilpatrick.

 

What a cracking contest, for as long as it lasted that is, both lads went to war right from the opening bell. The crowd were on their feet as the big men went toe-to-toe, each letting rip with a salvo of powerful exocets.

 

As the clock edged towards the second minute, Turner found the slightest of openings, stepped back a touch and let rip with a massive shot to the body to send the big Irishman to the deck. Amazingly Kilpatrick managed to get back to his feet before the count concluded.

 

Right from the restart Turner went on the attack, letting rip with further big shots, the final salvo producing a pin point accurate massive shot to the oblique that sent Kilpatrick to the canvas for a second time.

 

Unfortunately no matter how hard the Irishman tried to get up in time to beat the count again, he just couldn’t do it, leaving referee Matt Scriven no option but to wave off the contest on the one minute and twenty six second mark of the first round.

 

Side note on this bout, both men really did excel, the quality of the shortened fight was nothing short of sensational. I for one can’t wait to see both fighters in action again and hopefully in the future against each other once more.

 

The final fight of the night see unbeaten Craig Kennerdale in action against the highly entertaining and experienced Irishman Marty Kayes.

 

Right from the off Kayes went on the front foot, taking the fight to his younger opponent. The savvy Irishman then proceeded to make life as difficult as possible for Kennerdale.

 

Kennerdale responded well and as the round unfolded managed to get himself on equal ground, which wasn’t easy as Kayes kept digging into his well stocked locker for shots, and let’s say entertaining ‘professional’ moves, to throw a spanner in the works and disrupt the Merseysider’s game plan.

 

As the second round progressed Kennerdale began to turn the tables on the Irishman, showing Kayes that he too has a well stocked bag of tricks and clever moves, so much so that for long periods of time he was able to keep the wily Irishman on the back foot.

 

More of the same in the third, however the forth was a much closer fought affair, with the upper hand being equally shared between the two protagonists throughout the round.

 

After four highly entertaining, action packed rounds Referee Matt Scriven scored the contest 40-38 in favour of Craig Kennerdale.

 

Top class event featuring closely matched all action fights, what more could anyone ask for, as such plaudits to promoter Kyle Gallagher for hosting what can only be described as the perfect prelude, for the Merseyside fans that is, ahead of the impending big London fight night.

boxing, UK Boxing

Up Close and Personal With Liverpool’s Rising Prospect Dayle Gallagher

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Interview by Gianluca Di Caro.

Photo: Team Gallagher

 

 

The subject of this interview is Dayle Gallagher, who is proving to be one of the most exciting young prospects to emerge on the Merseyside boxing scene over the past few years.

 

On Friday March 3rd Dayle is set to compete in his toughest fight to date, a six rounder at the Hanger 34 Club in Liverpool, against Belfast’s Michael Kelly, a proven Championship campaigner, who in the past year or so has fought France’s Mohamed Larabi for the WBF International title and more recently Scotland’s Lee McAllister for the WBF Inter-Continental belt, as well as competed on huge televised events in Russia and Sweden.

 

Unbeaten in four outings to date, two by early stoppages, against Alekseis Nikitenko, in May 2015 and Jak Johnson in December 2016, and two by solid points decision, Marty Kayes in April 2016 and Phil Townley in June the same year, Dayle has already caught the eye of some of the biggest names in the sport, including two time World Champion Amir Khan.

 

In fact courtesy of Mr Khan and his team, Dayle firmly earned his place in the History books of the sport, as the very first winner of a Professional Boxing contest in Pakistan, following his excellent win over Belfast’s Phil Townley back in June last year.

 

More on that later, as right now I think its time to get on with the interview.

 

Gianluca

Thank you for talking with me today Dayle, whilst obviously this interview is regarding your professional career, especially the upcoming fight against Michael Kelly on March 3rd, I would like to start the interview off with you telling the readers a little about your non-professional boxing, especially your amateur career, which I have understand started out with a victory over one of the top guys in the division at that time.

 

Dayle

I started boxing at the age of 14, after training for over a year I had a few inter-club events before having my first amateur bout which was on short notice to represent Liverpool my home city, which was against the Welsh number one at the time in his home city Wrexham.

 

I always remember my coach saying no one wants to fight this lad so go knock him out, and in the second round after putting him down twice already the referee had no choice to stop it.

 

I was told by numerous of people I had a bright future in the sport but my focus at the time was to become a professional football player which ended in a real bad injury and after 18 months of physio and rehabilitation on my injury.

 

I finally got back into boxing for fitness and immediately fell back in love with the sport, after just a few months of training I took a white-collar fight in Newcastle.

 

After winning that I got loads of good feedback and realised I need to start taking this serious and see how far I can go in the sport, I won Northern area, British and European titles on the unlicensed scene then realised I need to turn to the professional side of the game.

 

 

Gianluca

Your pro career got off to a flying start, with a stoppage victory over Latvian Aleksejs Nikitenko, firstly how did it feel boxing in the professional ranks for the first time and secondly can you give your view of the fight please?

 

Dayle

Even though I had been in the ring plenty of times before, my professional debut had me more nervous then any other fight, but the feeling couldn’t of been better.

 

The fight didn’t last long about 1 minute I think before the referee had to interfere and call a halt to the fight which led to my first win in the professional ranks and is a day I will never forget.

 

 

Gianluca

It was almost a year before you were back in the ring, against Marty Kayes back in April last year, but even with such a long time between fights you were in top form, beating Marty on points. How did you manage to keep motivated during this time and again please give the readers your view of the fight?

 

Dayle

It was very hard because I was going through a lot of complications with my promoter at the time and couldn’t fight and I thought I might never fight again, but after a long period out, my brother helped me and got me a fight.

 

I knew a lot about Marty and knew it wouldn’t be easy knowing how experienced he was, but I wanted to show everyone that even with all this time out how good I can be and got the win and felt like I’d never had time out of the ring.

 

 

Gianluca

Your next fight, against Phil Townley, came just a few months later and what’s more was overseas on an historic event, the first Pro Boxing event ever to take place in Pakistan. Can you please tell the readers firstly how this came about and also tell the readers not just about the fight but also the whole experience?

 

Dayle

I didn’t really believe it was true when I first found out about Pakistan. I had just come back from my holiday and next minute am on the phone to Amir Khan’s uncle about a possible fight in Pakistan.

 

Even though I knew I wasn’t at my fittest or at my preferred weight I couldn’t miss out on the opportunity so I stepped up two weight classes just for the opportunity.

 

Within a couple of hours of the fight getting offered to me I was in Bolton at the Amir Khan Academy filling out all my paper work and my visa and literally three days later was on a plane going to fight in Pakistan.

 

On arriving in Pakistan I was treated like royalty, my bags where collected and carried for me. I was greeted by the Pakistan Army and Police and escorted to my hotel.

 

I could never thank the people enough from Pakistan on how they made my time there so welcome, it’s a great country with great people even when I fought they where screaming my name, so much so that I thought I was back in Liverpool with a home crowd.

 

It was one of my most amazing experiences of my life and one that I will have for the rest of my life as I made history as the very first professional boxer to fight and win on Pakistan soil.

 

 

Gianluca

Your fourth fight, against Jak Johnson back in December and on home turf once more, was both dramatic and I would expect anti-climatic for you. I was there so know all that occurred but could you enlighten the readers about the dramas that unfolded that night from your view please?

 

Dayle

If you’ve seen the whole fight it looks like I wasn’t too happy at the end but that’s because am a fighter and all I want to do is fight.

 

I trained so hard and felt in the best shape of my life so when the fight was over In 30 seconds it annoyed me but that’s just something I have to deal with its boxing and fights can be over with one shot.

 

After watching it back I was happy with my performance and I’m blessed with punching power that can pop someone’s shoulder out of its socket with one shot.

 

 

Gianluca

On the 3rd March you’ll be in action once more at the Hanger 34 in Liverpool, where you are due to face Ireland’s Michael Kelly. Do you know much about Michael and his fighting style and also how do you see this fight panning out?

 

Dayle

I know about the people he’s fought and what he’s achieved I know it will be a tough fight but that’s why my team and me asked for the fight.

 

I don’t watch my opponents on old fights because they could turn up an box a completely different fight so I like to figure them out when am in there.

 

I think it will be an entertaining fight for people to watch, but I see it ending with a knockout, if I hit anybody at welterweight with one of my power shots in eight-ounce gloves I will be shocked to see anybody still standing there in front of me.

 

 

Gianluca

So out of the fights you’ve had to date, whether pro or not, which has been your favourite and why?

 

Dayle

My favourite has to be Pakistan making history and challenging myself, it was a big risk stepping up two weight divisions but I like a challenge and this is why I’m in this fight game, and also boxing in front of two time World Champion Amir Khan and getting great feedback from him, you can’t ask for anything better than that.

 

 

Gianluca

How would you describe your fighting style?

 

Dayle

My fighting style I believe is different to the average British style boxer which I think makes me stand out more, I’m a counter fighter with power, I’m a southpaw and I know I can be a nightmare for any boxer out there on the boxing circuit.

 

 

Gianluca

Should you be successful on the 3rd March, you will be unbeaten in five, whilst perhaps it’s still a bit early to be thinking of Championship accolades, I’m sure that you must have been thinking about opportunities like that already, as such could you please outline your future plans for the readers.

 

Dayle

I’m in the sport to win titles, it’s a dream of mine that I know I can achieve and when the opportunity comes I will take it.

 

I will keep climbing the ladder winning fights and when my team think the time is right, I will get my title shot and I will become Champion.

 

 

 

Gianluca

I’m sure you must have been an avid watcher of pro boxing even as a youngster, as such my next question is which fighters, past or present, have had the most influence on you and your career?

 

Dayle

Growing up from a young age I used to watch videos of Roy Jones Jr, I love his cockiness and confidence.

 

I always wanted to be an entertainer and give people the feeling I had when watching him.

 

My favourite fighters that I like to watch a lot of now is Floyd Mayweather, Adrian Broner, Chris Eubank Jr and Errol Spence Jr, these are the type of fighters I like to take a lot from and try to make into my own style.

 

 

Gianluca

Moving away from the fights etc., who are the main people that make up Team Gallagher?

 

Dayle

Even though I’m the one who gets in there to fight I couldn’t do it without my team, from my brother Kyle who prepares me for every fight, to all my teammates at engine room.

 

It’s not just my team though; my sponsors also help me to get ready for fight night, Goodness Grill, who prepares my food, which help me with my diets. Spartan Dynamic who train me for my strength and conditioning and get me in great shape and make me feel stronger than ever.

 

James Harris who helps me with everything behind the scenes like interviews.

 

My friends my family and my girlfriend these all help me behind the scenes when I’m moody from weight cutting and preparing for fight night.

But the most important people on my team are the people who believe in my dream and buy tickets off me for my fights, because what a lot of people don’t realise without ticket sales fights can’t happen and I will always be thankful to every last person who buys a ticket from me!

 

 

Gianluca

Where do you train and what is your training schedule?

 

Dayle

I train in Engine Room Boxing Club, Sports Direct Fitness and Spartan Dynamic, my normal routine for fight night is 6am I wake up have a banana then straight to Sports Direct Fitness for my running.

 

I like to get between 4-6 miles in every morning then I will do a bit of bag work and get a sauna, then I will go home and rest then at 10:30am depending on which day Monday, Wednesday, Friday I will be at Engine Room until at least Midday working on my boxing.

 

Tuesday and Thursday I will be at Spartan Dynamic until Midday working on my strength and conditioning, then I will go and pick up freshly prepared meals from Goodness Grill and then have work from 2:30pm until 9:30pm.

 

It’s a hard routine to maintain but for my dream it’s all worth it.

 

 

Gianluca

What would you say your favourite part of training is?

 

Dayle

I don’t really have a favourite part of training; my favourite part is probably getting told I’m finished because it’s really hard work.

 

It’s an addiction training that I couldn’t go without, but if I had to choose one thing it would probably be sparring. It’s the closest thing to fighting and there’s nothing better than landing devastating punches on opponents.

 

 

Gianluca

Outside boxing, what is your favourite sport?

 

Dayle

Outside of boxing my favourite sport is football, I love to watch my team Everton but any game in general I will just watch for entertainment

 

 

Gianluca

Besides sport how else do you relax outside boxing?

 

Dayle

Boxing is constantly on my brain when I have spare time I watch boxing videos or talk about it to people who don’t really care but it’s in my blood and I just can’t help it

 

 

Gianluca

These days Social Media is very much an important tool for professional sports people; do you utilize Social Media to engage with your fans?

 

Dayle

I find social media is very important these days for professional athletes and I always interact with fans, because anybody who takes time to ask me anything about my career deserves a reply, I’m not a big name in the sport yet so to have people asking me questions about my boxing really means a lot to me.

 

 

Gianluca

Finally is there anything you want to say to your fans?

 

Dayle

Thank you to everyone who follows my career and believes in me it won’t be long until I’m at the top, thank you.

 

Dayle Gallagher versus Michael Kelly headlines the Kyle Gallagher Fight Club Promotions event at Hanger 34 in Liverpool on Friday 3rdMarch 2017, which will be broadcast on BOOM TV. Tickets are available from boxers competing or call Fight Club Ticket Line 07711 098025.

boxing, UK Boxing

Fight Report: Docherty Stops Kelly to Secure WBU Crown as McEwan, Allan and Robb take Victory Laurels

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DochertyWBU

Report by Gianluca Di Caro

Photos courtesy of Armando Ferrari

 

Scottish Promoter Thomas Melville made his intentions clear for all to see with his debut event on Saturday night, even with seriously major dramas leading up to the event, including losing one of his big draws, former WBO Featherweight King Scott Harrison, from the card just a few weeks before, and two further match-ups dropping out in the days leading up to the show, yet the canny Scotsman still managed to produce an excellent, albeit it smaller, event.

Heading up the show was Glasgow’s former Commonwealth Champion Craig Docherty against Dundalk, Ireland’s Michael Kelly for the vacant World Boxing Union (WBU) World Super Welterweight title.

The atmosphere was electric as the two protagonists made their entrance into the arena, the Scottish fans sure do know how to make an occasion like this really special.

Right from the opening bell both boxers made their intention crystal clear and within seconds the toe to toe battle for centre ring began in earnest.

When I say toe to toe I mean toe to toe, whilst much of the action was at close quarters, at times they were that close to one another that you couldn’t have wedged a cigarette paper between them, so much so that referee Lee Murtagh had no option but to warn them about head clashes on numerous occasions.

Now even though they were that close neither man went defensive, both showcasing their exceptional tools of the trade to great effect, with slick hooks and upper cuts coming from all angles.

Docherty managed to just about secure the first couple of rounds, only just as they were so evenly matched, but in the third Kelly stepped it up, making himself a little space he really got into a flow and was letting rip with scintillating shots from every single conceivable angle.

Docherty responded in similar vein, however the slickness of Kelly’s work made it an upward battle for the Glaswegian.

Round four see Docherty change tactics, using his jab to great effect to set up the openings in order to let rip with some vicious body shots, however the Irishman seemed quite happy to soak these up before countering with powerful rights and the occasional double handed flurry.

Round five was a spectacular round, both protagonists raised the pace even further, which ultimately led to some fearsome exchanges. It was really hard to decide who fared the best or if either outfought or outworked the other, yes it was that close.

 

More of the same in the sixth, boy oh boy did they go at it hammer and tongs for the first couple of minutes or so of the round.

As the clock moved into the final minute of the round Docherty began to back Kelly up, before letting rip with a lightning quick right that dropped Kelly like a sack of potatoes.

In an instant Referee Lee Murtagh went to the Irishman’s assistance and waved the fight off, which sent Docherty, his team and fans into a joyous frenzy.

Have to say what an appreciative crowd in attendance, as the cheers of joy for Docherty were outweighed by the magnificent reception they gave Michael Kelly as he rose to his feet, these were genuine fans, their man won but they were equally appreciative of the magnificent performance of the Irishman.

Just before Docherty was crowned the new WBU Super Welterweight Champion the official time of the stoppage was announced, as two minutes and nine seconds of the sixth.

Main support for the Docherty-Kelly title fight was set to be Edinburgh’s Craig McEwan against Newport’s Lee Churcher, however this was not to be due to a weight discrepancy that was unable to be resolved in time, so some quick negotiations led to Nottingham based Czech fighter Vaclav Skromach being drafted in as a very late replacement.

McEwan started strong, taking the fight to the Czech lad, Skromach though is no mug and a nice tidy fighter himself and soon started letting rip with shots of his own.

McEwan started to target the body, coming in from some unbelievable angles to land some fearsome exocets, Skromach adjusted his defenses but clearly some were having the desired effect.

Skromach held his own well for the first couple of minutes but as the round entered into the final minute McEwan stepped up the punishment to the body, culminating with an awesome hook that landed right on the button to send Skromach to take to one knee.

It was a seriously vicious shot, so nobody was surprised that Skromach was unable to continue, again as with the main event the Scottish fans celebrated their man’s victory as well as applauded Skromach as he rose to his feet.

The official time of the stoppage was announced as two minutes and twenty nine seconds of the first round.

Prior to McEwan-Skromach was another six rounder, between Nairn’s Sandy Robb and Scunthorpe’s Jody Meikle.

Robb started fast, utilizing a good stiff jab and big rights that kept the highly entertaining Meikle in check and on the back foot for the first minute or so, but then the Scunthorpe lad began coming forward more, picking off Robb with some cracking right hands.

As the round went on Robb started to become even more forceful, leaving Meikle no option but to utilize hit and move tactics, most of the time he got these spot on but occasionally the Scotsman preempted these and was able to land a big right as Meikle attempted to slip out of range.

More of the same in the second, but in the third Meikle began to play to the crowd, especially when backed on to the ropes, cheekily winking at the ring card girls whilst avoiding shots.

Normal service resumed in the fourth, Robb began cutting off the ring to prevent Meikle utilizing his hit and run tactics, this was highly effective for the Scotsman as with nowhere to move to the Englishman had no option but to box his way out from the ropes, which he did in style.

As the fight settled into the final third, Meikle again began to play to the crowd, but in dong so ensured that this time he had judged the distance adequately to prevent the big looping rights from the Scotsman landing.

The final round was a cracker, whilst still in a similar vein as the previous round, with Robb backing the Englishman onto the ropes as Meikle played to the crowd, there was some excellent and highly entertaining boxing from both parties.

After six interesting, entertaining rounds Referee Lee Murtagh scored the bout 60-54 in favour of Robb.

The opening bout of the night see Rivals Gym’s former unified World Kickboxing Champion Sam Allan in action against Downpatrick, Ireland’s returning Marty Kayes.

Have to say this really was a cracking fight, both protagonists giving their all for every single second of every round, it was a true non-stop battle royale.

After four excellent rounds of boxing Referee Lee Murtagh scored the bout 40-37 in favour of Allan, much to the local fans delight.

Congratulations to Thomas Melville and his team, not only did they overcome the adversity of losing their co-headline bout as well as a few of the scheduled bouts, but still managed to put on an excellent event.

Congratulations are in order for Craig Docherty, who joins the likes of Ricky Hatton, Graham Earl, Kevin Lear, Shea Neary, Tony Oakey, Wayne Elcock, Wayne Alexander and other British legends of the past in becoming crowned the WBU World Champion.

 

boxing, UK Boxing

Churcher Prepared For War Against McEwan On August 15th

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A mouth watering domestic clash, between Newport’s Lee Churcher and Edinburgh’s Craig McEwan, is set to feature on the undercard of the upcoming Thomas Melville’s Colloseum Promotions THE COMEBACK event at the Lagoon Leisure Centre in Paisley, Scotland on Saturday 15th August 2015, which is headlined by the Craig Docherty-Michael Kelly WBU World Super Welterweight Championship showdown.

 

Churcher (12-3-1), who secured the BBBofC Welsh area title with a ninth round stoppage victory over Barrie Jones in 2012, but never got to defend it before switching allegiance to the MBC, comes into the fight off a six win streak.

 

His opponent, McEwan (22-4-1) will be making his first home appearance since returning from America, where he fought amongst others World Champions Andy Lee and Peter Quillin.

 

On paper the bout looks set to be a stormer as both protagonists are very much ‘attack is the best form of defense’ minded, so much so that a number of on-line pundits have mooted that this is likely to be an out and out toe-to-toe war, very much in a similar vain to those classic battles between Arturo Gatti and Mickey Ward back in 2002/3.

 

A train of thought that virtually mirrors Churcher’s own, as was made clear when he spoke earlier.

 

“This is a massive fight for me, I’m really looking forward to fighting him, he’s tough and a big puncher, much like me really.

 

These are the type of fights real fighters want, challenging to put it mildly, fights like this are made for the big occasion and they don’t get much bigger than this, well in Scotland that’s for sure, there’s the Craig Docherty-Michael Kelly title fight headlining and Scott Harrison will be making his return on the show too.

 

That said, I think it will be our fight the fans will talk about most, especially afterwards, It’s going to be a war in there.

 

Yeah he’s been in with some good names, but that doesn’t worry me, it’s not an option for me, I can’t lose, it’s as simple as that.

 

I’m going to take the fight to him, have to really, his right hand delivers a devastating blow, so mustn’t give him the room to use it, I’ve got to get in there and give it to him first.

 

I’m not worried about the occasion or that it’s on his home turf, OK so I’m likely to receive a hostile reception, but that’s fine with me.

 

Saying that there are some fans coming up to support me, obviously it’s a long trip for my fans, it’s a massive journey for them, I appreciate that and can’t thank them enough for traveling all that way to Scotland to watch me fight.”

 

Lee Churcher vs Craig McEwan features on the undercard of the Craig Docherty-Michael Kelly World Boxing Union (WBU) Super Welterweight World Championship bout that headlines the Thomas Melville’s Colloseum Promotions THE COMEBACK event at the Lagoon Leisure Centre in Paisley, Scotland on Saturday 15th August 2015.

 

Sanctioning for this event is courtesy of the Malta Boxing Commission (MBC) www.maltaboxingcommission.com

 

Tickets, priced £40, £50 and £75 (VIP) are available from any of the boxers taking part or call 07932 069376 and are also available on-line at www.tkoboxoffice.com

 

boxing, UK Boxing

Docherty-Kelly Title Showdown Set For 15th August

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Glasgow’s former Commonwealth Champion Craig Docherty is set to challenge Dundalk, Ireland’s Michael Kelly for the World Boxing Union (WBU) Super Welterweight World title, on the Thomas Melville’s Colloseum Promotions THE COMEBACK event at the Lagoon Leisure Centre in Paisley on Saturday 15th August.

 

For Docherty it could be deemed a case of back to the future, as back in 2007 he unsuccessfully challenged Lee McAllister for the Lightweight version of the WBU title.

 

Now eight years later Docherty will be hoping that it is a reversal in fortunes and on the 15th August it will be him, not his opponent that emerges victorious and crowned the WBU Super Welterweight Champion.

 

Whilst the main focus is rightfully on Docherty-Kelly World title bout, it’s not the only bout on the show that has caught both the media and boxing public’s attention, not by a long shot.

 

Main support sees the return of one of Scotland’s greatest boxers ever, as longtime British, Commonwealth, IBO Intercontinental and WBO World Featherweight Champion Scott Harrison makes his long awaited return to the ring, in a ten round bout against a yet to be named opponent.

 

Receiving equal levels of attention, to both the headline and main support bouts, is the sensational Scotland vs Wales battle royale, between Edinburgh’s Craig McEwan (22-4-1) and Newport’s Lee ‘Lights Out’ Churcher (12-3-1).

 

Surprisingly this mouth watering battle, between McEwan, who has fought the likes of Andy Lee and Peter Quillin, and Churcher, the Welsh Area and British Masters Champion, is not for any form of Championship accolade.

 

Another superb domestic match up, between Bellshill’s Ronnie Nailen (3-1) and Bardney, Lincolnshire’s unbeaten Nathan Decastro (4-0), is another bout that is sure to enthrall the crowds, as both are big punchers that are not afraid to mix it up and go toe-to-toe when needs be.

 

That’s not all, not by a long shot, as Nairn’s Sandy Robb takes on Scunthorpe’s highly entertaining Jody Meikle in a six round Light Heavyweight contest, whilst Glasgow’s unbeaten Darren McAdam takes on Nottingham’s Matt Scriven.

 

Also on the card is a Cruiserweight contest between Askham-in-Furness, Cumbria’s Lee Kellett and Nottingham’s debuting Kevin Barker in a four rounder and last but not least Dunfermline’s Alistair Gonsales takes on debuting Ryan Lyall in a four round Super Welterweight contest.

 

Craig Docherty vs Michael Kelly for the World Boxing Union (WBU) Super Welterweight World title, headlines the Thomas Melville’s Colloseum Promotions THE COMEBACK event at the Lagoon Leisure Centre in paisley, Scotland on Saturday 15th August 2015.

 

Sanctioning for this event is courtesy of the Malta Boxing Commission (MBC) www.maltaboxingcommission.com

 

Tickets, priced £40, £50 and £75 (VIP) are available from any of the boxers taking part or call 07932 069376 and are also available on-line at www.tkoboxoffice.com