McDonagh Storms to a Win on Wally Dixon Show by Terry Dooley Apr 23rd 2007

On a night when the young pup of MMA rolled into Manchester Thomas McDonagh produced an exceptionally polished performance to beat Vladimir Borovski on points over six three-minute rounds. UFC may take place in the soulless arenas yet boxing still forges a traditional path in more intimate venues as a night of fights at the Piccadilly hotel showed. Promoter Wally Dixon is hoping to expand his shows to include fighters like McDonagh who have been to a higher level than the fighters one usually finds on dinner shows like this. Teaming up with Brian Hughes and Bob Shannon has also ensured that Wally has a steady line of suitable fighters for his expanding promotional activities. After a long-time spent boxing at venues such as the MEN against men such as Wayne Alexander, Martin Conception and Eugenio Monteiro, Thomas McDonagh voluntarily stepped onto this Wally Dixon bill in order to ensure that he, and other fighters who have boxed beyond the prospect and journeyman level, can step into the ring more often. As soon as the action got underway at the Piccadilly it was clear that despite its small-hall feel the show on Saturday provided enough hope that boxing's technical pedigree will see it through its current funk. Top of the bill saw McDonagh, 11st 2lb, box his way expertly to an easy point's victory over Borovski, also 11st 2lb. Thomas came out behind his jab before switching to jabbing off the back-foot. Borovski pressed on only for McDonagh to catch the man from the Ukraine with a left hook and right hand to the body and head, respectively. Vladimir landed his own left hook to the body in round two, unfortunately by this point his sides were already reddened from the body assault he himself had suffered. A right hand, left hook and right uppercut was the pick of the action from McDonagh in this round. A period of sustained pummelling greeted Borovski in the third round. As usual the Ukrainian tough man kept his chin away from the kill zone yet his corpulent body was fair game for the body shots of ‘Storm Boy'. In the fourth McDonagh came out behind a one-two before dipping his frame and landing a left to the body of Borovski, as Vladimir got some punches off McDonagh rolled and blocked along the ropes. So subdued was Vladimir as an offensive force that he was reduced to winking at McDonagh in close after being punished by a body shot. Thomas' reply was less affectionate – a one-two followed immediately by a left and right hook to the body went in as well as a hook from each hand to the body followed by a left hook to the head. Over the final two rounds Thomas did let the body work slip a little, he seemed content to parry and slip Borovski's shots on the ropes. Borovski did land his own burst – a right uppercut, left hook and right hook – yet McDonagh later turned him off the ropes and closed the fight with a crisp right hook off a feinted left jab. Like all of Brian Hughes' fighters McDonagh is technically proficient, a counter-puncher best enjoyed at ringside; yet last night Thomas seemed to genuinely have a lot more fire in his belly than he showed in his big fight with Alexander. Thomas seemed satisfied post-fight. Thomas McDonagh: “I didn't want a brawl with him and did six rounds there and want to take on the guys at title level because I left myself down in the Alexander fight. I brawled with Martin Conception when we fought and if we boxed again now I'd box his head off.” BBN: Who would you like to fight next? TM: “I'd like a fight with Anthony Small but won't have a big slanging match with him. He's mentioned me a few times but he is doing what I used to do with the talking and all that.” BBN: Was Borovski tough in there? TM: “He is a really tough kid; we trained for six-rounds. Jamie Moore stopped him – Jamie has a different style to me – but Ali Nuumbembe went the distance with him, he took all the boys the distance. I feel happy; if Brian's happy I'm happy.” BBN: Does boxing on these smaller shows give you a chance to stay sharp? TM: “Yeah that's the thing, I'm a boxer and I want to be fighting. I'll have a few days off and be back in the gym Wednesday hoping for another fight with Conception. I knew he was a tough kid and it was just a good six-rounder to get under my belt, I'm focussed a bit more now and I didn't switch off in that fight.” BBN: I noticed Borovski winking at you after you hit him with some good shots. TM: “I'm a good-looking lad so he gave me a bit of a wink! I'm just happy that Brian is happy, well he's happier than normal and isn't calling me a jumped-up little something or other.” Referee Steve Gray scored the bout 60-55 whereas BBN had it a clear 60-54. This last fight on the bill had echoed the night's first bout in which Brian Hughes' fighter Scott Quigg, 8st 9lb, won his pro debut handily over six two-minute rounds against Gary Shiel, 8st 9lb. Quigg had shown no hesitancy in getting his left foot to the outside of his southpaw opponents' stance before blasting home a series of straight right hands throughout the bout. Quigg continually stepped off to the left and as he would do so he would fire a right hand and left hook with intent. The right hand, in particular, was a joy to watch throughout the bout. Shiel tried to get into the fight with a hit and hold style yet he was out-styled from the start. By the third he was taking some nice shots flush through his guard. A right uppercut, left hook and right hand went in from Quigg with a single right hook counter the fruit of Shiel's toil. As the final rounds came around Quigg started to hook the right hand home. When the bell rang this enjoyably comprehensive win for Quigg was confirmed, both the ref and BBN had it scored 60-54. Quigg's shorts carried the legend ‘Muckers' and as long as Quigg continues to muck in some hard work with his talent he should do well. Next up was an oddly waged match between Tony Booth and Paulie Da Silva. Booth – possibly the best thing, well the only thing, out of Hull - is now on a half-ton of wins and in this fight he went from passive early to passive aggressive late-on. Da Silva started well then spent the last two rounds backing off as Booth, I kid you not, got the crowd rocking with repeated Ali shuffles, bolo feints behind the left jab and some nimble movement. Silva, 12st 10lb, came out behind his jab only for Booth to nimbly avoid shots then cover-up for the follow-ups. By the second stanza the main interest in the fight was the repeated clowning from Booth – who took the fight on a day's notice – as he played to the crowd, sometimes dodging a shot then standing side-on and eying up the fans. Throughout the third and fourth Booth's private joke continued yet Da Silva was forcing the little clean punching that got through, Booth flexed his ‘muscles' after the third then did little in round four. Da Silva looked fed-up by it all in the fifth and Booth took advantage by nicking this round with the odd jab and body shot - the oddest jabs came as Tony elected to wind-up his right hand a la Sugar Ray then popped off three jabs at Da Silva. Da Silva fell for the clowning and backed-off in the final round, Booth was having fun now; a near ten-second shuffle was backed-up by a few jabs and body shots. Booth muttered something to Da Silva in close and once again did just enough to pinch the round by clowning Da Silva out of his stride. The referee gave Da Silva every round bar one for a 60-55 margin, BBN had it closer at 58-56 due to Da Silva's late perplexity, ‘Paulino' got away with his lapses last night and can chalk the two lost, depending on perspective, rounds down to extreme bemusement. Finally the chief support featured a contest between Mark Nilsen, 13st, and Tomaz Da Silva, 13st, who, with all due respect, took some early pressure from Mark and then looked for a comfortable place to lie-down or quit-out. Nilsen worked well with his jab in the early going and at the end of round one made Tomaz pause with a right hand, left hook and right hook. Tomaz seemed energetic yet erratic in round two but was soon ducking too low to avoid the shots coming his way. Tomaz did score a clipping left to the body yet the fight soon descended into near-farce. Tomaz had been stepping-off then suddenly stopping and stooping low to avoid shots. Nilsen would end-up towering over Tomaz yet without any space to let his hands go. In the second round Mark rested his left on the back of Tomaz's neck then clipped the back of his head with a right hand. Tomaz went down like he had been hit by Sam Peter and looked to the ref. Steve Gray did not call the foul and instead counted over Tomaz. After making a remarkable recovery Tomaz got up and Mark pressed his, illegal, advantage throughout the round. It had seemed that Tomaz was looking for a way out off the bout; in the third he nearly got it as both men went in close and worked. The referee shouted ‘break' as Mark was winding up a right uppercut to the belly, the shot hit Tomaz on the beltline, the high beltline it must also be said, and Da Silva went down again. This time a foul was, wrongly it seemed but these things even themselves out, called and Nilsen was deducted a point for his actions. Tomaz seemed to have a taste for the canvas and was lightly floored, legally this time, by a left uppercut and right hand close to the bell. Mark gave himself more space after this with the upshot being that he started landing regular shots – mostly off the jab – in the fourth and fifth. In the fifth a right uppercut inside backed Tomaz off and a one-two followed by another right uppercut prompted a fair stoppage. Tomaz was not massively hurt, he just looked like he had done his stint and was passive enough to be classed as ‘no longer having an inclination to defend himself'. The fight was waved-off at 1:10 of the fifth round and it would be fait to say that in the mind of Da Silva the jig had been up in this round. After a solid night of boxing the sport, like this writer, is a little bit world-weary yet boxing can live for the present on its former glories as a new future is forged. It is not so much the fights fought and battled borne that leaves us in a state of fatigue, rather, it is the fights not made that wearies the fan of boxing. Still boxing will always retain its pedigree and tradition; a dues ex machina (preferably a heavyweight to restore order at the top, come on Big Aud') will arrive to give the sport a new high as it continues its storied history. Photos: Allan Stevenson

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