Macca closes in after McIntosh stoppage by Tom Podmore Jun 30th 2007

Dudley title contender Darren McDermott sent another warning to the domestic middleweight division with a two-round stoppage over Wolverhampton puncher Conroy McIntosh at Dudley Town Hall last night (June 28). McDermott, making the second defence of the Midland Area title he won in October 2005 against former British title challenger Andy Halder, won an eliminator for the British 160lb title in February and now hopes to meet the winner of Howard Eastman-Wayne Elcock next year. He had spoken in the week of how he thought that every fight from now until he gets his shot would be a British title eliminator in his mind. The win over McIntosh was expected, lets be honest, but it was more a matter of how the local ticket-seller would perform and how he would stand up to the Wolverhampton fighter's iron-fisted attacks. ‘Macca', as it happens, took the few that got through very well. Again, it proves that he has a decent chin, although we'll see a true test of his durability when he faces the winner of Eastman-Elcock in early 2008. However, Conroy, 33, wasn't pleased with the manner of the stoppage. He believed that Terry O'Connor dived in far too quickly at the end of the second, even though he was trapped on the ropes and shipping clean punch after clean punch from both hands. He even demanded a rematch after the stoppage, shouting loudly: "Who wants to see a return?" Conroy even tried to grab Noel Ennis', the nights MC, microphone in the aftermath of Conroy's first stoppage defeat this year and tried to get his two-penny's worth. McDermott, whilst having his belt strapped around his waist, just laughed it off. The undefeated Midland Area champion has now got much bigger fish to fry in the next 12-18 months. He badly wants that Lonsdale belt and is earmarking this time next year as a date when he'd like to have it on the mantelpiece. As always, the stoppage didn't appease everyone in the crowd – many felt that Conroy was fighting back on the ropes. Yes, he may have been, but he was catching every single one of McDermott's punches cleanly – his head being snapped back sickeningly. It was a stoppage that saved brave McIntosh from a sustained beating, a drubbing that could have shortened his career. I'd wager that the Dudley box-fighter would have finished the job in a more conclusive manner in the next round. No one wants to see the man poleaxed so it was a well-timed stoppage, in my opinion at least. Conroy had came out in a crouched stance – looking to jump up and explode with the kind of hooks that had ended five of his six wins early and decked Darren Barker and Paul Smith. ‘Macca', however, was so much taller – seven inches – that they were hitting his chest more than his chin. McDermott got to work straight away in this ten-round title clash. He met his hard-hitting foe in the centre of the ring and traded with solid punches to head and body. He then decided to step back, keep things at range and control the action with the jab – McIntosh (11st 5lbs 4oz) had no answer to it and missed widely with his punches. ‘The Black Country Bodysnatcher' (11st 6lbs) now knew what he had to do: keep McIntosh off-balance with the jab, then step in with short right hands. Guess what shaven-headed Darren, 27, did in round two? The Wolverhampton-based fighter rushed out of the corner in the second but was met by a crunching right that turned his legs to jelly and made him fall inside to hold. McDermott was in the ascendancy and although cut, he sent McIntosh to the ropes where he teed-off with both hands, dipping Conroy's legs again, and forcing the referee's intervention at 2-58. Cue wild celebrations by the Dudley gas fitter, now 13-0-1 (8), and his vociferous supporters. As mentioned earlier, McIntosh, now 6-21-3 (5), who had Bob Plant and Trevor Smith in his corner, was unhappy with the stoppage and demanded that Darren give him a return. That won't happen. Ronnie Brown-advised, Dean Powell-managed McDermott isn't fussed who he faces for the British title: "If I had a choice then I would rather fight Elcock, as Eastman doesn't sell many tickets. "Elcock and I could pack a big venue out and make some decent money out of it. "If the money is there and we can get the fight on between me and Elcock then let's get it on," said the self-styled ‘Black Country Bodysnatcher'. "It's a big derby between Birmingham and the Black Country and that would make for a great atmosphere and an even better fight." Impressive McDermott is likely to return to the ring in October before an all-out assault on the British middleweight title in the New Year. Wolverhampton's Dean Harrison added another win onto his unbeaten ledger when he comfortably outpointed East Ham's Johnny Greaves in a light-welterweight six-threes, Sean Messer marking the contest 60-55. I had it 59-55, by the way. Harrison, 23, had impressed in his maiden appearance on Sky Sports last time out – halting durable Judex Meemea in the last – and was eager to put in another solid performance against the Carl Greaves-managed southpaw at the Black Country venue. He did, but not before taking a few shots along the way – piercing right leads from the Londoner did the trick in rounds four and five. Greaves had tested another popular Midlands' fighter, Stafford's Rob Hunt, in Middlesborough at the beginning of June. Unbeaten Hunt was also forced to eat some solid shots before getting a 59-56 nod. ‘Deano' (10st 3lbs 4oz) watched his southpaw opponent in the early stages, assessing the danger. However, he then stepped-up the attack and trapped him on the ropes where he clouted him with a left that broke the London-born fighter's nose – it bled for the rest of the fight. His eyes full of concentration, Harrison slipped the southpaw lead of ‘Johnny Boy' and worked on the inside with crunching lefts to the body in the second. Greaves was made to look clumsy as the local's footwork meant he never in the same place for long. Greaves (10st 6oz), trained by former British champion Jason Rowland, had a better third. He caught Dean with piercing rights and pressed the action, forcing the ticket-seller to grab hold after absorbing a left. The pro-Harrison crowd got on ‘Johnny Boy's' back throughout, chanting "Send him back to London" and Greaves seemed more concerned about this in the fourth than the fight itself. He was backed to the ropes where Dean unloaded with double lefts to head and body. The London lefty got his shots off a split-second quicker in the fifth, though – Harrison being tattooed by straight lefts. Jason Rowland, John's trainer, was delighted with Greaves' workrate and punch output in the session. But Harrison punished two-fight Greaves in the last; a left hook to the body doubled him over late on. Greaves had problem with his concentration and talked and gestured to the crowd, giving the well-schooled Wolverhampton prospect a chance to push him back and work. Errol Johnson-trained Dean, now 7-0 (1), although suffering from the effects from a heavy cold, was a worthy winner and figures to have a bright future in the game. He should be looking at a shot at a Midland Area title in the near future. Lyndsey Scragg, who won her debut so impressively at this venue in February, moved to 2-0 (1) with a 40-36 four-twos decision from Terry O'Connor over tough Ghanaian Yarkor Chavez Annan on this PJ Promotions and Castle Hill Casino-promoted show. The Wolverhampton featherweight, who won the ABA's and represented England as an amateur for Wednesbury ABC, pursued the tough African around the ring for the entire duration. Annan is no stranger to these shores. She pushed British Masters champion Juliette Winter, who holds wins over English champion Cathy Brown and Shanee Martin, a couple of months ago in Stoke. Scragg (9st 2lbs 2oz) started fast, kept her chin down and backed her more experienced opponent to the ropes – punishing her with both hands. Annan fell short with her attacks in the second and was clobbered with fast-handed counter lefts. Both missed with their punches in the third but Errol Johnson-trained Scragg cut off the ring and made Yarkor (8st 10lbs 4oz) hold after catching her with a flush left hook, a punch that spun the West African's head around. Lyndsey, 28, countered with a ramrod left jab in the last, pushed Annan, now 7-3-1 (3), to the ropes and hammered home some meaty bodyshots. The Ghanaian never looked in danger of being stopped, however, and tested ambitious Scragg. Another ambitious Wolverhampton scrapper, middleweight Rob Kenney, got a career-best victory over former Central Area and British Masters title challenger Davey Jones in a show-closing four-rounder. Rob had his first three fights against Peter Dunn (winning two and drawing one) and showed decent form outpointed tough Jones, who has pushed Paul Smith, Mark Lloyd and Paul Buchanan in the past. Errol Johnson-trained Kenney, urged on by a sizeable fan club, took the initiative throughout the four-twos and caught durable Davey, now 8-8-1 (0), with some excellent counter lefts and rights. Scunthorpe's Jones (11st 11lbs 2oz), although often the aggressor, couldn't make his substantial weight advantage show and was guilty of slapping with his punches as the Wolverhampton fighter waited for his chance to attack. All four rounds were close, with the cleaner punching from Rob (11st 6lbs) being the deciding factor in a give-and-take battle. Jones often stormed in looking to work but lack of defence meant he'd developed a small mouse under his left eye by the end. Referee Sean Messer adjudged Kenney, now 3-0-1 (0), a 40-37 winner. Telford's unbeaten Mark Lloyd returned to action after a nine-month injury absence and swept all four rounds on Terry O'Connor's scorecard against tough Welshman Neil Bonner, returning after a 14-month layoff. Mark, 31, hadn't fought since he retired ‘Brummie Bulldog' Terry Adams in seven for the vacant British Masters title last October but showed no ring-rust as he swarmed over Bonner from the opening bell. Lloyd (11st 2lbs 4oz), trained by Errol Johnson, punished brave Neil from the off – tattooing him with lefts, rights and uppercuts. But Bonner, now 4-11 (2), took it all and tried to fight back. In the second Mark's fast-handed blows to the body slowed down his opponent. By the third Bonner, 31, was grabbing hold. Lloyd tried to shake him off and get back to the cleaner work that took him the first two sessions but he was now involved in a maul, referee Nigel Gill warned both for holding. Ticket-selling Lloyd, now 8-0 (1), dug in solid hooks to Neil's (11st 2lbs 2oz) torso in the final three minutes of the middleweight contest to round off a decent rust-shredding shut-out after that injury absence. Stourbridge's Sam ‘The Man' Horton was another fighter who remained unbeaten on the bill when he took a 40-36 nod over Stourport's Ernie ‘Gypsy Boy' Smith in a scrappy middleweight four-threes that opened the show. As ever, Smith gave as good as he got and shared a round on my scorecard. However, Terry O'Connor, scoring on the outside, thought Horton took every session. The Errol Johnson-trained puncher showed an impressive jab throughout to keep aggressive, durable Smith, whose record of top prospects falls to 13-115-5 (1), at bay for long periods of time. Sam, 21, had started well by controlling matters with a long left and following it up with the right. But Smith had closed the gap by the second and managed to connect with a couple of hooks that left the local hero looking both disorganised and dizzy. But Horton (11st 12lbs), despite taking some solid-looking shots throughout the four-threes, was always the man in control, rattling off hooks and uppercuts to keep the balance in his favour. One of ‘Sam The Man's' supporters called for him to flatten iron-man Smith in the last – Smith (11st 13lbs 2oz) shouted out sarcastically "Yeah." Horton, now 5-0 (1), had to make do with referee Nigel Gill raising his glove at the final bell. Richie ‘The Blade' Collins, who drew his debut in Stoke against former Welsh ABA champion Justin Jones, came through a frustrating four-rounder with Welsh farmer Mark Phillips by a score of 40-36 from Terry O'Connor (Nigel Gill handled matters inside the ropes). Collins, who comes from nearby Brierley Hill, had Dean Powell and Ronnie Brown in his corner but had a difficult time pinning Phillips down long enough to land a clean punch on him. He did, however, make the best of a bad situation. Collins, a former top amateur for Lions ABC in Stourbridge, (12st 3lbs 6oz) was straight-backed in the early going but settled down in the rounds that followed and hit durable Phillips, albeit rarely, with a couple of decent right uppercuts. St Clare's Phillips (12st 12lbs 6oz) never made a fight of it and was often caught in awkward-looking positions as he tried to avoid the punches that the powerful fighter from the Black Country dished out. There was only one winner at the end of the four-twos, however, but Richie, now 1-0-1 (0), didn't leave the contest unscathed – he shook his left hand and looked in some discomfort as he went to acknowledge the opposition corner.

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