British Scene: Magnificent Seven Recaps

Dave Oakes is back with recaps for the rest of Saturday's Magnificent Seven Action.  Check out Dave's recaps for Nathan Cleverly vs Karo Murat & Matthew Macklin vs Shalva Jomardashvili.

Derek Chisora vs Sam Sexton

Derek Chisora added the Commonwealth title to his British belt on Saturday night after stopping Sam Sexton in the ninth round of their rematch.

The fight was very similar to their first meeting - it was competitive, though Chisora always seemed to be in charge, until Sexton tired badly and was clubbed around the ring, forcing the referee to jump in to save him from taking further punishment.

Sexton didn’t do anything unexpected, he tried to establish his jab and take the centre of the ring, whilst Chisora showed better skills than he has previously, using a stiff jab to good effect before stepping in with big right hooks.

Both fighters showed signs of fatigue as the fight wore on but it was Chisora who was able to find his second wind and take advantage of Sexton’s ever decreasing work rate. The end came in the ninth when Chisora landed a number of clubbing rights that had Sexton shaken and staggering backwards onto the ropes. Chisora wasted no time in finishing the job, unleashing a volley of hooks that rocked Sexton’s head around. Sexton was out on his feet and on verge of going down when the referee stepped in.

Kell Brook vs Michael Jennings

The most anticipated fight of the night between Kell Brook and Michael Jennings turned out to be the most disappointing. Jennings fleet footwork frustrated Brook; the Sheffield fighter looked lacking in sharpness and couldn’t close Jennings down quick enough to land his shots cleanly.

The fight was beginning to warm up in the fourth round, Brooks landing a hard straight right – his first big punch of the fight, whilst Jennings was beginning to look for opportunities to land his own shots.

Unfortunately the fight came to an abrupt end the following round, Jennings suffering a bad cut above his right eye after an innocuous looking left uppercut by Brook. The fight was waved off immediately, leaving Jennings crestfallen and Brook disappointed that he’d been denied the chance of a more impressive method of victory.

Brook said after the fight that he was just starting to get to Jennings, I was reading the fight differently to that, I thought Jennings was looking increasingly comfortable and Brook hadn’t made any major inroads in stopping Jennings, although Brook was clearly ahead on the cards and would’ve been expected to go on to win.

Brook looked out of sorts against Jennings, his timing was off and he struggled to match Jennings’ footwork. I think he needs a couple of heard tests before stepping up to world level. He’s likely to fight for the WBO title next, if Manny Pacquiao vacates that is.

James DeGale vs Carl Dilks

James DeGale made light work of Carl Dilks, stopping the Liverpool man inside the first round. The Olympic gold medallist did as he wished, catching Dilks with eye-catching combinations out of both southpaw and orthodox stances.

I don’t think Dilks landed a single punch as DeGale’s speed and skill befuddled him. The referee stopped the fight towards the end of the first; Dilks wasn’t hurt but was out of his depth and in danger of taking a sustained beating.

Frank Warren said after the fight that Commonwealth champion George Groves was his preferred choice for DeGale’s next fight. The pair enjoyed a fierce rivalry in the amateurs and have been exchanging insults over the past few years.

Lukas Konecny vs Matthew Hall

Lukas Konecny claimed the European light-middleweight title, knocking out Matthew Hall in the sixth round of a toe to toe battle.

The fight was fought at close quarters from the first bell, both boxers throwing powerful hooks to body and head. The big difference between the pair turned out to be Konecny’s defence, Hall was taking most of the Czech’s punches flush whilst Konecny was catching, or sometimes partly catching, a lot of Hall’s.

I had the fight even after four rounds, although it was clear that Konecny was looking the stronger fighter. Hall was having to dig deep just to be competitive whereas Konecny looked at ease and in control.

Hall began to struggle in the fifth round after a body shot seemed to take a lot out of him. He kept battling away bravely but it was becoming apparent that he was running out of steam, Konency meanwhile, was still robotically swinging away and looking as though he was thoroughly enjoying the battle.

Konecny continued to press Hall in the sixth round; he was now bullying the Mancunian without having to worry about what was coming back at him. It looked all over when Konecny landed a combination to body and head midway through the round that dropped Hall; he managed to clamber back to his feet but looked like a fighter who knew he was beaten.

Hall still managed one last show of resistance, he landed a monstrous left hook as Konecny went in for the finish, the Czech hardman took it well though, before countering with a left hook – straight right that sent Hall crashing to the canvas again. The referee didn’t even bother with a count, he knew Hall was finished.

Hall announced his retirement after the fight, bringing an end to his career at the age of 26. He won the Commonwealth title during a career which saw him amass a 23-3 record.

I was impressed with Konecny, I thought he looked over the hill in his fight prior to this one but he showed he’ll still be a hard opponent at European level.

Alexander Frenkel vs Enzo Maccarinelli

Another fighter who should be heading towards retirement is Enzo Maccarinelli, who suffered another brutal knockout defeat, losing his European title to Alexander Frenkel in the process.

Maccarinelli had boxed well up until the seventh round when he walked onto a huge left hook that sent him crashing heavily to the canvas. He somehow managed to get to his feet but was clearly in no fit state to continue. The referee, Erkki Meronen, thought differently and inexplicably allowed the fight to carry on.

Frenkel jumped on the dazed and confused Welshman, sending him crashing to the canvas with a sickening thud by way of a huge right – left hook combination. The way Maccarinelli’s neck and head twisted when he took the finishing punches was as brutal as any knockout I’ve seen in a British ring.

It’s not the fist time Maccarinelli has been on the receiving end of a brutal knockout, and whilst he’s come back from devastating losses before, I feel he should call it a day. You can’t keep getting knocked out in the manner in which he has been over the past few years.

He’s regarded as one of the nicest blokes in boxing and no-one wants to see him risk his health by continuing. He’s been a world champion, something that most fighters can only dream of, and has been one of the most entertaining British boxers of recent years. Ultimately the decision is his but I hope he seriously considers retiring.

I was impressed with the way Frenkel handled the pressure of fighting away from home. I was equally impressed when he didn’t immediately celebrate the victory due to Maccarinelli receiving medical attention; I thought that was very classy.

Frenkel isn’t the greatest technician around but he’s got a good temperament, a solid chin and a big punch. He should be able to at least challenge for a world title if not win one, although he’ll be up against it when meeting the likes of Krzysztof Wlodarczyk, Steve Cunningham and Zsolt Erdei.

e-mail Dave Oakes