NINETEEN long months had passed since the last show at the Victoria Warehouse. So the eight-bout offering served up by Pat Barrett’s Black Flash Promotions on Saturday (July 24), a rust shedding opportunity for some and a long awaited debut for others, was a welcome return to the venue in the very shadow of Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium. Middleton’s former British and Commonwealth welterweight title challenger Liam Taylor had registered 10 inside the distance victories before going into a scheduled six against Terry Broadbent of Leeds who conversely hadn’t made it through to the final bell in his three most recent outings. The smart money then was on this one going early.
It was all over in just three minutes, Broadbent twice falling victim to body shots. The first time was a good 10 seconds or so after Taylor had slammed home a left and the second coming at the end of the opener as referee Jamie Kirkpatrick completed the count.
Last time super-welterweight CJ Challenger stepped between the ropes he emerged a narrow victor over 10 against fellow Leicestershire man Kyle Haywood and duly claimed the vacant Midlands Area title as a result. This return, almost two and a half years later, saw him in against Islington road warrior Jordan Grannum, renowned for his durability and in truth a far better boxer than his meagre record might suggest. CJ, not particularly renowned as a stoppage merchant, was expected to emerge a wide points winner and, whilst the heavier Londoner kept it interesting, he was unable to prevent CJ running out a 60-54 winner for referee Mr. Kirkpatrick.
Liverpool southpaw David ‘Junior’ Thompson secured a third professional victory by besting always game Ilkeston operator Kyle Hughes, who, after winning his first two, had been outpointed three times on the bounce. Kyle finished with a bloodied nose and damage below the right eye but he had come to fight and ensured it wasn’t just a stroll for the counter-punching Taekwondo instructor who was more than happy to work off the back foot for the most part. Referee Darren Sarginson scored 60-55 for Thompson at the finish.
Manchester super-feather Connor Burton, back after 17 months of inactivity, was the latest to trade punches with Nicaraguan born Cristian Narvaez for whom this was an eighth outing of the year and his fourth in the UK. Narvaez has a reputation for going the distance without winning a round, admittedly against far superior opposition for the most part, so his defeat came as no real surprise. What did catch the eye though was the fact that he was down and almost out at the top of the fourth as the confident Manchester man swarmed forward in search of a stoppage. Impressive stuff from Burton, who fully deserved the 40-35 decision handed down by third man Kirkpatrick.
Pick of the quartet of debutants was highly rated middleweight and ex Muay Thai boxer Niall Brown who, relaxed and wasting little, always looked set for a inside the distance victory over Walsall’s Kearon Thomas. Kearon did well to make it through the opener having come under heavy fire. But there was to be no escape. He was down twice in the next before a third such visit to the canvas with eleven seconds of the round still remaining saw referee Sarginson wave it off without taking up a count.
Aberdare’s Joe Morgan found himself in with Stockport’s Jamie Quinn, whose willingness to box anyone at the drop of a hat has meant that he hasn’t been forced to endure as long a spell of inactivity as the majority of punchers. Joe, working well behind the jab, took the 40-36 decision of referee Kirkpatrick at the conclusion of this four.
Down at super-featherweight in the curtain raiser, tall, rangy former MMA fighter Lewis Wood exchanged pleasantries with Kent’s Ricky Leach, who proved a fairly easy target and was tagged to the body throughout. Manchester’s Darren Sarginson refereed and scored it 40-36 for Lewis and the same official turned in an identical card at the finish of another one-sided encounter which saw Chester super-feather Adam Rasool dominate against Bradford’s still winless Jake Pollard who, offering little, fell victim to a frequent jab.