British Scene: Hall Turns Back Brave Power on North East Fight Night

by Andrew Harrison at ringside

Stuart Hall, the Darlington roofer and newly crowned British bantamweight boss, turned back a spirited effort from former champion Martin Power at the Rainton Meadows Arena in Houghton-le-Spring on Friday evening. Fighting just seven weeks on from the night he annexed the Lonsdale belt, via stoppage victory over Ian Napa in Peterlee, Hall proved too insistent, too determined and too fresh for Power, halting him with a flurry of punches in round ten and in doing so, stretched out his record to 9-0-1 (5).

Hall had turned this trick once previously; back in September when, after Power’s original opponent pulled out, he stepped into the breach on just three days notice to shock the Londoner in eight rounds at the Brentwood Centre in Essex. It took him a tad longer this time around, although, his performance showed a growing maturity which marks him out as one to watch once the domestic season resumes in September.

Despite the fact he was making only his tenth paid outing, Hall (8st 4lb) oozed confidence as he made his way to the ring amid vociferous local support, and he imposed himself upon his challenger from the off, keen it seemed to snuff out any ambition the St. Pancras man had carried with him into the rematch.

The rangy champion started briskly, snapping into Power with sturdy jabs and right hands to command the opener with an edge in sharpness and urgency. Power (8st 5lb 8oz) had a better second session and began to target Hall’s midriff with heavy hooks from both hands, yet his lack of movement meant that any success was limited to sporadic attacks.

Hall began picking Power off with spearing double jabs and right hands in the third, at one point spinning him on the strands before landing quick one-two combinations. Power meanwhile, was contesting every exchange, gritting his teeth hard as he hunted Hall’s ribcage relentlessly.

The fourth was a big round for Hall. Rather than looking to dictate the action from distance, Hall would wait for Power to attack before countering with crisper punches of his own inside. Catching the squat little slugger coming in, he appeared to stun his man before unleashing a two handed assault along the ropes throughout the last 30 seconds of the round.

This theme continued into round five as again Hall looked to close the show. Power though, fought back tenaciously, determined to retain a foothold in a fight which looked to be rapidly slipping away as he took another pounding.

Hall appeared utterly unflappable and barely out of breath as he continued to break down Power’s stubborn resistance, catching him on the tail end of his telescopic punches in the sixth. Hall cannily walked his man into a meaty right hand in the seventh and Power winced in the clinches as the constant battering began to take its toll.

Hall started the eighth with a corking uppercut which drew gasps from ringsiders, yet Power chugged forward, slamming away at the champion’s body. Hall continued to draw exchanges up close, confident that he would get the better of them with his sharper, more correct punching.

The pace slowed in the ninth, with Power grimly hanging tough after taking a walloping right.

It was all over in the next as, after Power had forced him back to the ropes, Hall again span his man and landed a volley of flush punches whilst he was off guard. Mark Green leapt to Power’s defence at the 2:30 mark and despite protestations from the challenger, it seemed a timely end to a fight which appeared to be heading only one way.

Afterwards, Hall described it as the toughest fight of his career, and declared it "a good learning fight". On this action packed showing, Power will have no shortage of offers should he wish to continue fighting, although, after losing six of his last eight it is to be hoped that he calls it a career.

Undercard action featured Crook’s Nigel Wright building on his excellent recent win over Alex Arthur as he outpointed Wolverhampton’s Dean Harrison for the English light welterweight title over ten. Southpaw Wright looked the stronger and more stylish fighter from the off, in a bout which became more scrappy as it progressed. After sweeping the first six rounds with his tasty jab and quick combinations, Wright appeared to ease off the gas in the seventh and he paid for it, catching a crisp left hook from Harrison which dropped him right on the bell to end the round.

Seizing his opportunity, Harrison came on in the eighth, however, Wright appeared to catch his second wind in the penultimate round and boxed nicely to see himself home a handy winner by scores of 98-92 (twice) and 97-93.

Elsewhere, former Olympian and highly touted local light heavyweight prospect Tony Jeffries came perilously close to a calamitous defeat at the hands of trial horse Michael Banbula (10-25-3 with zero knockouts going in). In a bizarre mix up Jeffries had convinced himself that the bout was scheduled for just six rounds rather than the eight it had been announced as prior to the opening bell.

After six tepid but evenly matched rounds which highlighted the popular Sunderland man’s deficiencies rather than his strengths, "The Mighty Mackem" reached for the referee’s hand in expectation of victory, only to be informed that he still had two sessions left to fight.

Those last six minutes were torrid ones indeed for the favourite, who was left with blood splattered across his face (he was caught by an elbow over his left eye in the opening round) and on jelly legs as the Pole, Banbula came on like a steam train. Referee Andrew Wright held both men’s hands aloft at the closing bell, after scoring the encounter a draw with scores of 77-77. I had Jeffries a narrow winner after Banbula afforded him too much respect throughout the early rounds.

Despite retaining his undefeated record, Jeffries cut a sorry figure as he attempted to make his way onto the apron to conduct the post fight interview. He spoke of increasing his stamina for future dates, however, an entire overhaul would be more appropriate. His lack of imagination, fighting instinct, speed and the ability to punch in combination all require drastic action if he is progress any further than the level he finds himself at currently.

Recent Prizefighter winner Jon Lewis Dickinson looked to be on his way to a straightforward win over the heavy handed but raw Tyrone Wright when disaster struck for the Durham fighter. After taking the opener, Dickinson dropped Wright in the second and moved in for the kill. In the skirmish which followed, Wright retaliated with a desperation right hand, which immediately brought up a mouse under Dickinson’s left eye.

It would prove a costly injury, one which blew up in the third round and completely shut the local man’s left eye with a grotesque swelling. Referee Andrew Wright was forced to make a brave but wildly unpopular call in waving off the bout at the 2:38 mark. Dickinson though, can bounce back from this setback.

Other action saw light heavyweight Travis Dickinson (brother of Jon Lewis) and cruiserweight David Dolan labour to decision wins. Dickinson looked disappointed not to have rid himself of super survivor Jamie Ambler inside the four round distance (despite winning 40-36) whilst Dolan had his hands full with Zimbabwean, Hastings Rasani before managing to eke out a 58-57 win over six.

Most stylish fighter of the night was Durham’s Martin Ward, who did as he pleased against late substitute and paid loser Jason Nesbitt over four rounds. Featherweight Ward moves to 8-0 (1) and looks like one to keep an eye on. Fellow prospect, Sunderland livewire Kirk Goodings, outpointed Pavels Senkovs for the second time in his brief four fight career (all wins) and looks to be settling into the professional game quite nicely.

Promoter: Frank Maloney (Maloney Promotions).

For more from Andrew Harrison, make sure to check out his site, Safe Side of the Ropes.