Darlington pros all win on hometown card by Ian McNeilly Apr 30th 2008

I've never been more confident that the scheduled boxing would start and finish on time than when I attended a card in Darlington last Saturday evening.   The ring was in the same room as the bar and they couldn't satisfy the thirsty desires of the 300-strong throng until boxing had concluded.   The venue was Darlington and District ASE Club, known in the town as ‘The Engineers' and it played host to three hometown lads, two of them debutants.   First up was the runner up of the 2005 ABAs at bantam, Stuart Hall (8st 10 ¾ lbs), winning his pro debut over six-twos on points against West Yorkshire's favourite fighting Syrian, Abdul Mougharbel (8st 11 ½ lbs).   Hall was on the front foot from the off and showed some nice, orthodox boxing skills against Mougharbel who, when he's in the mood, can be a tough nut to crack.  The Huddersfield-based man was quiet in the opening couple of rounds but opened up in the third and took a share of the fourth by upping his aggression.   By the fifth though, Hall was growing in confidence and had assumed command before a ragged closing session from both boxers.   Referee Gary Williams got it spot on with a 60-55 tally.   “I was happy with that as my debut.  He is a bit of a tough guy and I thought I boxed quite well though there is obviously things to improve on,” said a satisfied Hall.   Window cleaner Lloyd Creighton (11st 8 ¾ lbs) got his career off to winning ways against Rotherham's Ricky Strike (11st 11lbs).  Strike was tall, tentative and a southpaw to boot, boxing off the back foot with a strategy that seemed to be wholly focused on survival and he did just that, though he lost every round in a 60-54 shut out to the Darlington man.  Williams reffed.   “I'm normally a counter-puncher,” explained 30-year-old Creighton, “so I found that a little bit difficult tonight.  Having to lead off against a southpaw was a bit awkward.  But I was fine in there and I could easily have done another eight rounds.”  Strike is yet to strike gold.  He's now 0-7.   Top of the bill was Darlington doorman, light-heavyweight Bob Ajisafe (12st 12 ½ lbs) who beat Newark's Jamie Norkett (12st 12 ½ lbs) on points, 40-37 as scored by referee Andrew Wright.  This was Bob's third win from three outings.   Ajisafe seems a good prospect.  One thing I immediately noticed about him, which you rarely get from novices, was the desire to vary attacks and work on the body almost as much as the head.  He began the first with a nice southpaw jab hitting the target.  It didn't take him long to pick up the pace and, as he admitted later, he was looking for a stoppage but Norkett was too technically proficient to allow himself to be blown away.  Ajisafe launched a sustained two-fisted assault but Norkett covered up nicely.   Ajisafe went for it again in the second but showed intelligence to go with his attacks and by the third he realised he should get down to some boxing and showcase his skills.  Perhaps he tired a little in the last.  It was Norkett's best round and the visitor deserved his share of it.   “I boxed well, I hurt him in the first couple of rounds,” mused Ajisafe afterwards.   “I thought I could stop him but I went back to my boxing and let him get back in it a bit.  I knew I was in control and should have taken over from the third round but didn't.   “I want to be a full-time professional boxer and I think I'm a good prospect.  Johnny Nelson has said so too.”   The action was done and dusted by 8pm.  At 8.01pm the bar was heaving.  All the Darlington pros are trained by Paul Hamilton at the Darlington Boxing and Martial Arts Academy and, although I didn't stay around to see the action, seven kickboxing bouts followed the more standard pugilism.

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