Renda tames Baldassara in three by Tom Podmore Feb 24th 2007

Cello Renda added another impressive scalp to his 16-fight record last night (February 23) when he knocked out Scottish middleweight champion Vinny Baldassara in three-rounds.   The Peterborough puncher bettered the result of current English middleweight champion Wayne Elcock, who had taken six-rounds to dispose of the Scot. Elcock had been given a decent argument last September.   Renda, of course, took the fight on February 12 when original main-event star, Birmingham's Matthew Macklin, pulled out with a chest-infection.   Baldassara had said in a recent interview how much he was looking forward to fighting in Birmingham again, but this time he knew he'd be travelling back to Clydebank with win number eight under his belt.   Cello, however, had other ideas.   He has impressed on his visits to the Midlands in the past but last nights victory over a Scottish champion must rank as the best of the youngster's fledgling career.   The middleweight contest started slowly, with both men looking to assert their respective jabs. Baldassara's was longer and more accurate but Renda's carried the greater power. Cello often followed his jab with an overhand right, but Vinny, who boxed the first session on the backfoot, slipped most.   Renda (11st 9lbs) continued to use a sharp left jab in the early stages of the second, and his work had an air of authority and class stamped over it. A four-punch combination by the 21-year-old Cello raised the atmosphere and he forced the game Scot to eat a solid right cross as he bossed matters.   The third saw Baldassara (11st 6 1/2lbs) using his stiff, rangy jab as he looked to step-up the attack. The Scot never provided a stationary target and managed to score with a few piercing leads. However, Cello pressed forward, slipped a straight right, stepped-in and planted a powerful left-hook on Vinny's jaw. The Scottish champion landed on his back with a thud, and, although he managed to get in a sitting position, was counted out by Terry O'Connor with 2-58 gone.   Vinny, 28, was helped to his stool, given oxygen and congratulated Renda, now 12-3-1 (7), after a few minutes.   An extremely composed, assured and impressive performance from Cello, who has been coached fantastically by Ian Pauly in Cambridgeshire, and he can now look forward to bigger fights. He only had two amateur contests (both won in one-round, both in under a minute) but has fought with the kind of class a 100 fight amateur would have brought with him.   Barry Winter trained Baldassara, now 7-4-2 (3), is a good stylist but has now lost two in a row, albeit against very capable opposition. His future is unclear.   Cello's future, however, is looking bright. Ken Purchase has hinted that he might put the Peterborough hotshot in for the WBF International title in the next few months.   It was a scheduled ten-threes.     ‘Ringside Promotions' showcased an entertaining show at the Aston Villa Events Centre, Birmingham.     Birmingham's James McKinley chalked up a significant win onto his ledger when he beat former Midland Area and British Masters champion Matt Scriven. The six-twos saw the hometown hero get a 60-55 nod from Terry O'Connor, who scored on the outside. Trialist referee Nigel Gill handled matters inside the ring.   Scriven, who runs the ‘Robin Hood' promotional company in Nottinghamshire, was having his first fight since he beat Peter Dunn in November. He came out of retirement to give the Sheldon youngster a valuable lesson in the pro game – keep your hands up at all times.   Crowd-pleaser McKinley tried to take ring-centre and use his jab in the first 30 seconds but Matt, boxing aggressively, sent the local's head flying back with a thumping right. James covered, fired back and bloodied Scriven's nose.   Scriven stared the second in a compact stance (chin tucked down, hands close to his chin) but was forced to eat numerous jabs and rights as McKinley pressed. The ticket-seller also scored with one-twos as the round progressed, and had Scriven scrambling with a solid right uppercut.   McKinley (11st 7lbs), member of ‘Team Ringside' and trained by Richie Woodhall, started to dig in solid bodyshots in the third. Scriven, helped out in the corner by Brummie Trevor Smith, who once knocked out Jason Cook, waited for James' left-hand to drop before hurling a overhand right.   The fourth saw McKinley rock the tenacious Scriven (11st 3 1/2lbs) with a succession of one-twos. However, Matt continued to storm forward, catching ‘Jimmy' with the occasional right. Short uppercuts drew blood from Scriven's mouth late on.   Nottingham's Scriven threw a massive overhand right to start the fifth, and took control of a quiet round – McKinley being caught with chopping rights. The sixth, however, was toe-to-toe. Both traded heavy shots and Scriven was sent scurrying to the ropes after the Brummie let his hands go.   Another excellent fight involving McKinley, now 4-0 (0), who wants to have a shot at a title in the next year.   Telford light-heavyweight Lee Jones had to haul himself off the floor in the first round against Phil Callaghan but remained undefeated after coming though with a 38-37 four-threes decision from John Keane.   The tall, stylish Jones was made to work by the aggressive Yorkshireman, but would have probably won every round if he hadn't had been dumped on the canvas in the opener. However, the knockdown was flash and he was seemed to be off-balance.   Jones had started well – using a long, solid left to keep the aggressive Callaghan at range. However, the Leeds light-heavy, trained by former British champion Derek ‘The Rebel' Roache, thumped a right hand on Lee's jaw and down went the Shropshire fighter. He got up at eight and did well to reassert his jab for the remained of the session.   The height and reach advantage of Jones (12st 4 1/2lbs) began to tell in the second stanza, though. Callaghan was powerful and dangerous with the right, but was picked off by the left and neat one-twos.   Callaghan (12st 4lbs) was always on the front-foot but was forced to retreat when Lee used his steady jab. By this time, Jones had brought a solid straight right hand into play and scored well with it.   The last three minutes saw ‘Team Ringside' hope Jones keeping things at a distance, much to trainer Richie Woodhall's delight. Callaghan was rocked late on and Jones was well worth his win.   Lee, a former kickboxing champion, is now 2-0 (0).     Switch-hitting D Mitchell eased to a 40-36 decision over Welshman Geraint Harvey over four-threes. Terry O'Connor bossed the entertaining, skilful light-middleweight contest.   Mitchell, from the Chelmsley Wood area of Birmingham, used quick hands to score to head and body in the first. Harvey was forced to spend long periods of time on the back-foot, and was made to hold after shipping a hard right.   Mountain Ash's Geraint (11st 1/2lb) looked in pain after every Mitchell body-attack. D used classy upper-body movement to avoid Harvey's replies, and Geraint would hold on for dear life when the Brummie was close.   The third saw Mitchell (10st 13 1/2lbs) using both hands to punish the taller, leaner Welsh scrapper. It was a dominant round for the Richie Woodhall trained prospect, whose fast feet saw him easily move in and out of range.   The final stanza was excellent for the muscled Mitchell, now 4-0 (1), and he landed with several lead left uppercuts to consolidate another impressive performance. A championship level prospect, certainly.   Birmingham's Max Maxwell took a few too many right hands from the aggressive Pontefract veteran Peter Dunn but still ran out a hearty 59-56 winner over six-twos at middleweight. Referee John Keane's score looking spot-on.   Maxwell (11st 4lbs), from Chelmsley Wood, used a solid left jab in the early part of round one. Dunn, however, stormed forward and clipped Max with a couple of rights in a scrappy opening two-minutes.   The height and reach advantage that that Brummie had should have ensured an easy night of range boxing but Maxwell neglected the jab in favour of aggressive, front-foot boxing. Peter's legs were stiffened as he shipped two or three right uppercuts as he marched in.   Dunn (11st 3lbs) continued to crowd forward in the four rounds that followed but Max planted his feet and, although caught a few times with his left low, thumped in good punches to head and body to make sure of the win.   Maxwell, trained by Richie Woodhall, is now 2-1 (0).     A bad night for Nechells lightweight Waja Hussain, though. The long-armed Brummie was floored in the second on his way to a 39-37 four-twos defeat against Northampton's Gavin Deacon. Trialist referee Nigel Gill handled the action in this curtain raiser. Terry O'Connor scored on the outside.   Deacon, who looked far more powerful than Waz, got off to a good start and pressed forward, pumping out his arms. Waja circled the ring to use his jab but was caught and forced back to the ropes in the latter stages.   The Brummie was light on his feet in the second but Gavin forced Waz back with his superior strength. An air of desperation appeared in the local's work and a left hook on the stroke of the bell floored him; he got up at eight but was dazed.   Waja (9st 7lbs) tried to bring an uppercut into play in the third, but the flat-footed Gavin (9st 11lbs) took it all and fired back. Waja had his best round in the last and his higher workrate and neat one-twos took him the round. However, it was too late.   The second round knockdown cost him a draw.   Deacon, trained by former pro John Cox, is now 2-6-1 (0). Wajid, whose main problem seems to be a lack of strength, something he'll need to work on with Richie and Len in the gym, drops to 0-1-1.     Disappointment for ‘Team Ringside's' two heavyweights, Alex Ibbs and Pele Reid, as they didn't fight as planned. Reid came down with a bad stomach earlier in the day and Ibbs' opponent, Dave Ingleby, pulled out with injury.

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