Baguley bags Central Strap by Jim Wright Sep 12th 2008

Sheffield's Jon Baguley came out on top against Dwayne Hill in a steel city civil war by finishing the battle in decisive fashion, forcing referee Steve Gray to halt proceedings at 2-10 of the third round. A contest that looked mouth-watering on paper translated onto the canvas as both lightweight got to work in a furious-paced test of skill and will. Dwayne looked the heavier handed, landing well with a round the corner left hook that made it one-nil to the Glyn Rhodes trained Hill. Baguley, the more conventional of the two, fenced well with the jab but took more shots than he gave. Ingle trained Baguley came out for the second looking to establish himself. But Hill put his shots together in nice combinations, rotating to squeeze every ounce of power out of his well prepared frame. Baguley enjoyed some success yet returned to the corner to have Dominic Ingle work furiously on an awkward looking cut over his charge's left eye. The third started with Jon throwing less jabs, trying to stake his claim for the centre of the ring while Hill was prepared to take a step back in order to find the room to keep up the momentum. Baguley wasn't done yet; he gave Hill a taste of his own medicine with a sweet a left hook as you'll ever see. Dwayne tried bravely to stay upright but his eye's showed the look of a man unable to defend himself and referee Steve Gray was bang on the money by jumping in and saving the gallant challenger for the central area strap. As good a three rounds as you will ever see for an area title. Both men have a hard earned reputation for giving there all and this reputation was enhanced tonight. Baguley moves onto 8(4)-11. Billy ‘the people's poet' Boyle passed his biggest test to date by seeing off the challenge of Ingle-schooled Simeone Cover by stopping him in the fifth of their scheduled six at light-heavyweight. Boyle adopted his usual pressing pressure tactic and jumped on Cover who tried to fend of Billy by boxing at range then cutting down the room by sitting on his chest when at close quarters. Boyle never gave an inch and pressed but failed to get much of his shots home cleanly as Cover was using his defensive cuteness to block, parry and dodge where possible. There seemed to be a bit of needle creeping in between the two, Boyle was building up a lead yet Cover always looked dangerous with the uppercut. In the fourth Billy caught Cover with a left hook, followed up by an uppercut that left Simeone on the canvas for an eight count. The bell came to the rescue but Boyle picked up where he left off in the fifth. The round had a sense of inevitability surrounding it with Billy pressing and forcing a rescue for his foe at 2-30 of the fifth. Boyle continues his journey on 9 (6)-0. It was good to see that the needle had been buried at the end and both sides displayed class by embracing the other. A loss for Cover but respect earned from the crowd and opposing camp alike. Talking of passing tests, middleweight Jez Wilson got passed the tricky Iranian Manoo Salari with an emphatic victory earned with a stoppage at 1-55 of the second round. Southpaw Salari took Wilson by surprise by boxing instead of getting involved in a war that he is accustomed to. Manoo speared Jez with the straight left and nicked the first round. But Wilson was menacingly stalking, looking to get his own straight right power shot home. Midway through the round and Salari's eye was beginning to shut. Jez sensed his chance and waded in. A big right rocked Manoo and referee Steve Gray jumped in to bring the contest to a halt. Wilson put in a solid performance, especially considering that this was the first Southpaw test he had faced. Six foot eight man-mountain Dave Howe didn't hang about in his debut to the paid pain-game. He made quick work of Preston's Howard Daley by jumping on his man and not taking a step back against the bloodied visitor from across the Pennines. Howe showed a good array of shots before forcing the end at 1-50 of the heavyweight contest. Referee Mike Alexander had seen enough and saved Daley after one vicious shot splattered the referee's shirt with the Preston man's rouge. Another debutant from Rhode's Sheffield Boxing Centre got his career off to a flyer. Sleek stylist southpaw Sam Sheedy took charge from the off against Welshman Russell Pearce. Sheedy bossed from the centre, picked and mixed his shots well while setting up the finish by targeting the body. Pearce took refuge on the canvas for an eight count after a wicked attack to the midriff. It looked like he had been saved by the bell but he couldn't come out for the third because of a damaged rib from the previous attack. Highly touted Ingle comeback kid Craig Bromley had his first outing for nearly two years and saw off Birmingham's Sid Razak over four rounds at lightweight. Bromley dominated the first two sessions with his flashy fast hands and unnerving accuracy. Razak did well to survive but came back strong in the last to nick it in a 39-37 victory for Bromley. It was good to see John Fewkes back in the Rhodes' fold where he belongs and knocking around at ring side to cheer on his stable mates. The fireball was speaking positively about recent events and looking to the future with that sparkle in his eye!

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