Bolton Jolly Boys punch goodbye to 2007 by Terry Dooley Dec 31st 2007

VIP promotions underlined a busy 2007 with their annual ‘Jolly Boys' show at the De-Vere Whites hotel in Bolton on the 23rd December. The event has gathered pace in recent years and there is no reason, after this sold-out show, to think that it cannot be expanded, once again, for 2008. A meal was followed by a comedian before the boxing got underway as debutant Rick Goddins, from Bolton, defeated Kristian Laight, from Nottingham, on points over 6 x 2 minute rounds at light-welterweight. Goddins, 10st 3lb, slipped the jabs of Laight, 10st 4lb, early-on then got to work behind his own shots; Laight loaded-up with a right hook only to be countered by the left hook of Goddins early in the bout. Goddins stayed compact and ensured that his work was effective, if unexceptional, early in the bout. Laight started to get success by the seconde as he countered a missed 1-2 from Goddins with his own left hook counter. Goddins responded with his own left hook, this one to the body, late in the round, although thus far they were the few clean shots on show. During rounds three and four Goddins began to work his shots out in doubles; left and right hooks kept Laight on the defensive as Goddins began to assert his jab, and therefore his style, leaving Laight swollen a little on the left side of his face. By the fifth Goddins was in complete control of the bout as he worked off the jab. A jab to the body was followed by a right hook to the body of Laight, buoyed by this success Goddins landed a further brace of hooks – left and right – to the body of his opponent. As the round neared its end Goddins stepped in, drew Laight on, then stepped back and landed a showy right uppercut. Goddins now had the fight in the bag and coasted behind a conservative jab in the final round to take a deserved 60-55 score on the card of referee Michael Alexander, with the second round being given as a draw. BBN had it slightly closer at 59-55. Next up came another 6 x 2 minute bout between local boy Nigel Travis and Jamie Ambler of Wales. Travis, 12st, was never in the fight and it showed as he went down on points. Ambler, 12st also, withstood the early pressing of Travis before landing the cleaner shots. A left uppercut towards the end of round one served notice to Travis that he was in a real fight. This notice went unheeded as Travis came out in a straight line in round two and walked right onto a right uppercut from Ambler. A following right hand sent Travis backwards and this gave Ambler the space to land a jab-right uppercut-left hook combination. Travis' face was already reddened by the start of round three and Ambler was taking confidence from the ease with which he was hitting his opponent. Ambler feinted a right uppercut then landed a pair of hooks – right and left – before winding-up a right uppercut to the body of Travis. Nigel looked a faded and jaded fighter who had no idea how to turn the fight. Travis' nose sprayed blood onto my notepad and he was having serious problems with Ambler in this round. Travis' corner tried to urge him on between rounds but the fighter looked jaded, out-thought, and was being out-fought.  In round four Ambler was able to move backwards whilst still landing his straight right hands. Travis was still employing the rush-and-hit strategy he had employed in round 1 but in his eagerness to get forward he was compounding the error of his approach. By the final round it was all over bar the toting. Ambler spun Travis onto a few shots before signing off for the day with another right uppercut. There could be no complaints from Travis after the fight and there was to be no hometown verdict, although it was only one round away, as Ambler won 58-56 on the card of the referee. BBN had it 59-54. Travis' onrushing aggression had been enough to win the first round on my card, just about. Preston's Chris Johnson, 10st 10lb, was next into the ring and he enjoyed a fourth round stoppage win over Birmingham's Steve Cooper, 10st 5lb, to bring a premature end to the 6 x 2 minute rounds bout. Southpaw Johnson worked purposefully behind his jab in the first two rounds then, when his jab had done its work, would land straight left hands behind it. By round three Cooper was looking like a guy who would be lucky to make the final bell. A jab early in the third moved Cooper back; this gave Johnson the space, and boldness, to land a straight left hand on the chin of Cooper.  Cooper landed his own shot, a right uppercut to the body, but this merely gave Johnson the space he needed to tee off with a huge left and right hook double. Johnson clearly felt confident enough to go through a variety of shots and this paid-off in the fourth as he caught Cooper with right hook to the head that put Steve on wobbly legs. A further right hook was followed by a straight left to the chin, with all the shots being clean and powerful referee Michael Alexander was left with no choice but to stop the fight at 1:35 of the round. It was a well-taken finish from Johnson; he landed the right hook then waited for Cooper to move back before stepping in with the finishing blows. Cooper was left all at sea - with his hands down and with a straight back that left him a sitting target for the final two shots. Finally came a scheduled 6 x 2 bout between Manchester's Jon Kays, 9st 2lb, and Leeds' Craig O'Neill, 9st 5lb. Kays started the bout like a man looking to end the bout as quickly as possible. A left hook to the body and a 1-2 to the head caught Craig cold; Craig dipped his knees a little leaving Kays free to land a right uppercut to the head in a dominant first round. O'Neill came out bravely behind his own right hand in the second only for Kays to brush it aside and land his own 1-2, after registering the ease with which he landed this brace Kays chanced his arm and landed another 1-2.  O'Neill now had a rapidly closing right eye to add to his general woes, a perversion of the festive spirit saw Kays then give O'Neill a gift of a further 1-2, this time garnished with a left hook to the body. O'Neill was looking a sort sight but there was to be no sympathy from Kays, instead he gave his opponent a jab-right hand-left hook-right hook in which he switched between the head and the body of the fast fading O'Neill.  Referee Alexander, who looked like he was about to jump in anyway, acknowledged a compassionate mid-round corner retirement at 1:59 of the second round. Kays' shot selection and speed had made a mismatch of this fight and reduced O'Neill to mincemeat. After the fight, Kays told BBN that he had been eager to get out there and box after suffering two personal tragedies recently. Kays seemed to be pleased with his full professional year thus far (he had his debut fight at the end of last season) and expressed a desire to stay busy during the second half of the season. The crowd had enjoyed the boxing with the two stoppages getting them going on this laid-back afternoon. It was now left to the 15-strong platoon of VIP dancers to entertain the crowd. A crowd that will no doubt be back, and with friends, in 2008.

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