Jon-Lewis Dickinson (14st 3½lbs) is still the British cruiserweight champion after seeing off the challenge of Mike Stafford (13st 13lbs) at Houghton-le-Spring’s Rainton Meadows Arena on April 19.
Southport’s Stafford gave Dickinson problems for the first four sessions, throwing wide shots over the guard and down to the body, but seemed to fade thereafter and was ultimately outworked.
Jon-Lewis, 14-2 (3), came out determined in the fifth and took control of the bout. The Birtley man’s work rate was incessant and he never stopped chipping away at his well-supported, Merseyside opponent, 11-2 (2).
Much of the action was fought up close, with Dickinson having plenty of success with the jab and backhand, while continually banging away downstairs to Stafford’s midriff.
Mike continued to score with shots and both gave it their all in the final round but the North East man was the stronger of the two and deserved the wide unanimous scorecards from the judges.
John Keane scored 117-112; Steve Gray 118-112; Terry O’Connor 115-113. Referee was Victor Loughlin.
Jon-Lewis needs one more defence to win the Lonsdale Belt outright. Stafford showed he deserves to be at this level and will come again.
Sunderland’s Glenn Foot (10st 5lbs) was in the most explosive bout of the night against Jason Cook (10st 4½lbs). The Welshman, a former European lightweight champion and British title challenger, was a step up for Foot (pictured) but he boxed patiently from the outset of this eight-threes and waited for openings.
Jason, 29-5-1 (15), showed moments of class and countered well at times but Glenn was always stalking and looking for the opportunity to throw the big overhand right. In round three he landed the shot he was looking for and Cook took an eight count from referee Andrew Wright.
Worse was to come for Jason in round six when an accidental clash of heads opened a cut over his right eye before, in round seven, it was all over. Head shots had the gutsy Welsh fighter over for another count, after which he was trapped on the ropes and pummelled into submission. The time of the stoppage was 1-38; Foot is now 11-0 (6) and won’t fail to be in exciting fights in the future.
Paul Truscott (10st) was given a decent workout by Hungarian Sandor Racz (9st 11lbs) over six-threes. Middlesbrough’s Truscott, the former commonwealth featherweight champ, showed his undoubted class by throwing plenty of combinations but Racz, 4-3 (2), never budged. Paul, 19-3 (3), controlled the bout behind his hard, accurate jab and will have been pleased to get some rounds under his belt after a lengthy layoff. The East European was deducted a point in round four for low blows and lost 53-60 on referee Mark Curry’s scorecard.
The remainder of the undercard bouts were all four-rounders.
Heavily outweighed Anthony ‘Babyface’ Nelson (8st 9lbs) suffered a flash knockdown – a combination of a punch and entanglement of feet – almost immediately as his contest with Glaswegian tough-guy, Ryan McNicol (10st) had begun. The South Shields fighter wasn’t fazed though and got back to his boxing. Fast hands and feet were enough to see off southpaw Ryan, who did land the occasional overhand left. Referee Curry scored 39-37; Anthony is now 6-0 (1); McNicol is 4-24-3.
Sunderland’s Kirk Goodings (10st) and Fishburn’s Gary Fox (10st 5lbs) both tried to make a fight of it against opponents with little ambition. Goodings faced Youssef Al Hamidi (9st 12lbs) who, at times, was running around the ring, while Fox took on a negative Jason Carr (10st 9lbs). Goodings, now 8-1 (1), inevitably won 40-36; Fox picked up a 40-35 score after Carr was deducted a point in the fourth for excessive holding.
Heavyweight Danny Hughes (18st 10lbs) made a welcome return to the ring after being out for over a year. Out-of-shape Czech opponent, Ladislav Kovarik (17st 9lbs), was deceptively tough and gave Danny, 11-2-2 (3), some much needed rounds. On a couple of occasions it looked as though the big Mackem might finish things early but the East European, 10-14 (5), stuck it out to see the referee award Hughes every round.
Hartlepool’s Callum Winton (9st 12lbs) and Newcastle’s Chris Bennett (9st 12lbs) were both involved in good scraps. Winton, 2-0-1, was up against Manchester’s Paul Haines (9st 13lbs); both threw plenty of leather but the North East fighter had the edge in work rate and shot variety, coming out on top 39-37. Debutant Bennett was in with experienced Worcestershire journeyman, Billy Smith (10st 5lbs), and used his fast hands to win, 40-37.
Promoter Phil Jeffries pulled out the stops on the night by inviting British welterweight champion, Frankie Gavin, and Sunderland FC’s Wes Brown, Craig Gardener, and Phil Bardlsey to attend the show. All were happy to chat with fans and have pictures taken as they watched the boxing at ringside.
Leave a Reply