Bracknell Breakdown – Undercard Action by Will Hale Dec 17th 2005

In an excellent fight, the defending English super-middleweight champion Ryan Kerr was held to 95-95 draw by Colnbrook's Jamie Hearn. The decision was booed by the crowd, but in truth it was a difficult fight to score. The tanned and solid Hearn started the fight by far the more the assertive of the pair, setting a fast pace in the opener and sending the champ to the ropes. He looked significantly bigger than the champion and it was clear from the outset that Jamie had come to take the title. By the third round the action has back and forth. Hearn, now 11-5-1 (4), was forcing the fight and launching eye-catching flurries and Ryan and responding with his own bursts. In general, Kerr's work was neater and of a slightly higher standard than his challenger. In the forth, the champion started to maintain the centre of the ring more and Jamie was cut underneath the right eye. At the bell, Kerr nodded on his way back to his corner signalling that the fight was swinging his way. Hearn, wearing tasselled white shorts and trainers style footwear, took a great right hand in the fifth but by the end of the round had the champion on the back foot. The champion started the sixth well by landing good left hook off the ropes. He displayed excellent movement during the fight and really boxed well on the back foot. For Hearn, it looked like his perseverance was paying-off as he landed a stunning one-two to have Kerr hurt at the end of the round. The champion's head dropped dispiritedly. Over the last four rounds, Ryan's work was cleaner and he often displayed immaculate timing against challenger he was forcing the fight and had come to win. As Jamie began to tire, his aggression at times became slightly disorganised. The Scot's shots had started to remould the angles on Hearn's face and at times the challenger seemed to run out of ideas. The pro-Hearn crowd in attendance obviously thought their man had earned the decision through his aggression, whereas Sky TV reportedly had Kerr four up at the finish. Kerr remains an unbeaten champion on 13-0-1 (5). Bradford's Femi Fehintola moved to 12-0 as he shut-out Frenchman Frédéric Gosset 80-72 over eight rounds at lightweight. Femi looked like a class act as he switched effortlessly from the head to the body throughout the fight. He doubled his jabs well and measured Gosset, 9-23-1 (2), for following rights. The Frenchman however, had a teak-tough air about him and he kept in the fight. He caught Femi with some good uppercuts in the second but himself was forced to move more in the forth after taking some good lead left hooks and right hands in the third. In the seventh, Gosset had some success despite being tired. However, Femi's counter shots were impressive. Former European Cruiserweight champion Vadym Usenko from the Ukraine could be one to watch. He made his debut against Bristol's winless Casaba Andras and was a stoppage victor after 1-40 seconds of the opening round. The Ukrainian appears to have height and power, as he had a look at his opponent before trapping him on the ropes and punching down with a huge right which ended the contest. Improving light-heavyweight Gary Oujederie scored an impressive 58-56 win over Reading's Sammy Price over six round. Oujederie, now 3-3-1(2), pressured Price in the first. Fighting with a high open guard, he repeatedly landed right hands and opened a cut on Price's left eye. Sammy Price looked worried. Price was clearly the more accomplished boxer of the pair, but Oujederie found good success with his brawling style. He often landed left hooks and one felt that he made Price, now 7-3 (0), become more tentative. In saying that, Price countered well at times with his correct straight punches. By the forth round, both fighters' mouths were open. The bout was fought at a brisk pace. In the fifth, Price's legs were stiffened and he really wasn't responding as well as he did earlier to Oujederie's aggression. Northolt's Robert-Lloyd Taylor appeared fortunate to receive a 39-38 decision over Karl David in a welterweight four rounder. The decision was very unpopular, and David and his trainer voiced there concerns to the referee after the contest. Taylor was the more mobile of the pair, but he was repeatedly tagged with overhead rights from David who seemed to take the rounds with his busier work rate. Gosport's Steve Ede outpointed Hounslow's Lee Hodgson over four rounds in a bout fought at catch weight slightly above the middleweight division limit. The referee scored the bout 39-37 for Ede who threw and landed the better quality shots throughout the fight. Hodgson,11st 81/2 lbs, was a brave and determined warhorse who really ground himself on and played his part in a spirited contest. Ede weighed 11st 8lbs. Slough Debutant Matt Paice made a successful start to his paid career by out pointing Simon Goodwin over four rounds at Heavyweight. Paice, using a significant height advantage, produced the higher quality work and despite punching with authority never appeared likely to score a stoppage. Goodwin, urged on over the final of the fight by Chris Sanigar in his corner, appeared slightly out-of-shape and consquently tired over the fight's final furlong. In the show closer, Birmingham's Howard Clarke take a steady four round beating over four rounds against Kingston's Matthew Barr over four up at super middle. Barr put his punches together well in combinations and also displayed excellent movement. He had the luxury of knowing that nothing of any danger would be coming from the blow-up light middle Clarke. Clarke came forward at Barr but seldom threw any punches, he was just on the receiving end over the whole course. It was slightly sad to see Clarke clowning whilst taking a beating at the end of the fight. This is a man who once made it into world-title contention and fought Fernando Vargas for the IBF light-middleweight title.

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