McDermott cuts Ironman down to size by Tom Podmore Oct 26th 2007

Unbeaten Dudley middleweight Darren McDermott continued his march towards a crack at the British title in the New Year with a four-round stoppage over muscled Finn Kai ‘Ironman' Kauramaki at a packed Wolverhampton Civic Hall last night (October 25). Referee Howard Foster was left with little option but to call a halt to proceedings during the fourth of a scheduled non-title ten-rounder when a cut over Kai's right eye significantly worsened. However, Dean Powell-managed McDermott was in total control from the opening bell. The local ticket-seller is now desperate to get his opportunity at the Lonsdale belt – currently held by Birmingham rival Wayne Elcock. He won a title eliminator in February, smashing sturdy Darren Rhodes to defeat in five, and believes its time for the board to acknowledge that and make him the mandatory challenger. He's kept busy with wins over dangerous Wolverhampton puncher Conroy McIntosh (stoppage in two) in June and another stoppage, albeit on cuts, over Kauramaki last night. Darren isn't the kind of man to sit on the promise of a title shot and get rusty. One expects McDermott, 29, to be back in the ring in February – if he hasn't got his British title fight before then, which is looking increasingly unlikely as Elcock is challenging for the IBF title against Arthur Abraham in December. Although he was expected to dispose of the tattooed Finnish puncher, who seemed to lose when he moved up in class, it was another test of how he would react against an international opponent he's seen little or nothing of. Again, the reigning Midland Area champion, in a rare position of fighting someone the same height (6'1) as him, passed another exam asked of him with flying colours. Kauramaki was certainly no mug. Even though he owned a patchy 13-12 (4) ledger entering this fight, he had mixed at a decent level and was good enough to challenge for the European Union (EU) title in 2005, though lost via eight-round stoppage. Former European champion Amin Asikainen could only outpoint his countryman in a Finnish title fight in 2003 – and Kai even managed to take a couple of rounds off the Ring Magazine-rated puncher on a couple of the scorecards. On his only other appearance in the United Kingdom (York Hall, March 2006), the brave European had been halted in three by enigmatic Deptford light-middle Anthony Small, who forced Kai to take the full ten-count after badly breaking his nose. And while the 40-year-old wasn't halted by punches in this contest, it seemed only a matter of time before he wilted – he was starting to feel the long rights and heavy hooks to the ribs. Ronnie Brown-advised McDermott (11st 5lbs) used his piston-like jab to excellent effect in the early stages, catching the Finn, walking in a straight-line, time after time. He began to double it late on before switching the mode of attack and ripped right hands to the body. Kauramaki (11st 3lbs) couldn't find a way past the long arms of the popular gas fitter in the second and, to add further insult to injury, a long right sliced open a nasty wound above his right eye which spurted blood on Darren's head. Referee Foster kept a close-eye on the severity of the wound between the second and third round. After bossing matters with the jab, long rights and bodyshots, McDermott – totally against the run of play – had his legs buckled when a desperate right exploded onto his temple. He recovered immediately, but had to deal with a more positive opponent in the last minute. Again, Kai was forced onto the back foot by double jabs and follow-up rights, and a right to the top of the head saw the Harjavalta scrapper, 13-13 (4), on wobbly pins, forced to cover desperately as ‘Macca' pounded his fists into both the head and torso. Mr Foster – who kept a watchful eye on Kauramaki's cut from the second onwards – took him to his corner to have it evaluated and decided to stop the bout at 2:09 of the fourth. Cue wild celebrations from those in attendance at the partisan Civic Hall. McDermott, now 14-0-1 (9), was given a special Midland Area belt by the Midland Area council for making two successful defences, and that joins his Area and British Masters straps in his trophy cabinet. A fight with Coventry southpaw Steve Bendall would be good for the talented ‘Black Country Bodysnatcher' next time out. Dean Harrison was an impressive winner on this value-for-money First Team (Paul Rowson and Errol Johnson) bill, taking a 60-54 decision from Terry O'Connor over Ukrainian war-horse Rakhim Mingaleev in a light-welterweight six-threes. The undefeated Wolverhampton boxer, a career-lightest 9st 12lbs, put in another mature, polished, composed and assured showing to remain unbeaten and take the scalp of a worldly-wise performer. Mingaleev, 40, without a win on these shores in 39 attempts, took his lumps and showed grit to last the six-round distance – especially as left hooks to the abdomen seemed to bother him in the last few rounds. Remember, this is a man who had crossed swords with former WBO boss Scott Harrison, former IBF king Paul Ingle, current WBA ten-stone champ Gavin Rees, Alex Arthur, Nicky Cook, etc, in years gone by. The Phillipe Fondu-handled Eastern European was forced onto the back foot from the off, having his head snapped back by a snappy jab and fast-handed left-rights from the skilful Black Country prospect. Rakhim nodded his head in acknowledgement after shipping two rasping bodyshots late on. Harrison, 24, with about three inches in height on the survivor, continued to use his left expertly in rounds two and three – switching from a hook to the body to a hook-cum-uppercut to the head. Rakhim was also punished with left hook-right uppercut combinations. Even though 84-fight Mingaleev (9st 12lbs) tried to attack, he was brutally punished with left-hand counters as he fell short. The solid, relentless jab from the local ticket-seller also brought blood trickling from the apex of Mingaleev's nose by the end of the fourth. And the piston-like jab continued to pound into Mingaleev's damaged nose in the fifth. Harrison used excellent footwork to spin around and find angles to deliver his crunching body-blows – forcing his opponent to gulp for air on several occasions – as the round drew to a close. The final three minutes proved to be extremely tough for the grey-haired veteran. Again, he was belted with quick-fire one-twos, and left and right hooks to the ribs saw him grab hold and gasp for air. Errol Johnson-trained Harrison, now 9-0 (1), is the Midlands brightest prospect. Stafford's Rob Hunt came through his hardest test to date with a deserved 39-38 four-threes win over Brendan Ingle-trained Leonard Lothian, a former top-class amateur for Kingsthorpe ABC. Legendary Ingle and Northampton-born Lothian, who threw himself on the floor after Hunt's hand was raised, were disgusted by the decision handed down by Terry O'Connor on the outside (Nigel Gill controlled matters inside the ropes). But I had tall Hunt the winner by the same margin (2-1-1 in rounds). It was an excellent, forward-thinking piece of matchmaking from Errol Johnson. The victory was even better when you consider Rob only had two amateur bouts (both wins, both quickly) and Lothian had an extensive unpaid career that saw him win an NABC National title and box for England Schoolboys. He also won the Midland Senior ABA title. Staffordshire trainer Paul Dykes has done a magnificent job of tutoring unbeaten Hunt in Stone. The former kickboxer, who finally fathomed the switching style of Leonard, certainly looks as if he can do things in this area of paid combat. Loose, awkward Lothian (10st 2 1/4lbs) – a typical Ingle fighter – got the better of the opening session, however. Hunt was often caught with looping rights; one such punch knocked him off-balance. But Hunt, with legions of fans making the short-trip to Wolverhampton, started to use his significant height advantage in the second session, and a hard left hook sent Lothian scurrying to the ropes. Both had their moments in a closer third. Lothian, as expected, continued to work on his toes and landed shots from every angle imaginable. Hunt, by contrast, did everything at walking pace and picked his shots – wasting nothing. Hunt (10st 4 3/4lbs) found the target with his stabbing jab throughout the last session as the Sheffield-based fighter, seemingly running out of ideas, started to present more of a stationary target. Nice guy Rob, now 7-0 (1), didn't finish unscathed, however, as he was cut over the left eye late in the last. The future looks assured for him. Unbeaten Lincolnshire light-welter Amir Unsworth was ringside with manager Carl Greaves and watched this scrap with interest – he fights busy Lothian, now 4-3-2 (0), at the Nottingham Arena in two weeks (November 9). Another fighter to remain unbeaten was Wolverhampton middleweight Rob Kenney, now 4-0-1 (0), who outpointed fresh-faced Rotherham puncher Paul Royston 60-54 over six-twos. Dave Coldwell-trained Royston (11st 4 3/4lbs) cut-up Walsall's Leigh Hallett in Birmingham last month but couldn't get another win in the Midlands as he struggled to find a way past Rob's smart jab and follow-up hooks. Errol Johnson-trained Kenney (11st 6 1/2lbs), with a tight, high guard, jabbed his way to success in rounds one and two, throwing a couple of left hooks into the mix and digging the body well. Royston, who had Curtis Woodhouse cheering him on at ringside, threw more leather in the third, finding success with his long right. But Kenney whipped in lefts to the body and right uppercuts in the rounds that followed – making the Yorkshire boxer hold – and was well-worth his win from Terry O'Connor (Nigel Gill the man in control inside). Another ambitious Errol Johnson-trained Wolverhampton prospect, undefeated Lyndsey Scragg, battered baby-faced Ukrainian first-timer Olga Michenko to defeat inside two rounds in the six-twos show-closer. Fondu-handled Michenko, only 18, was brave but a league below Scragg, 28, who won an ABA title and fought for England whilst an amateur for Wednesbury ABC. Scragg (9st 1lb) rushed her younger opponent from the off and thumped both head and body with gusto. A left to the body and right to head dropped Olga (8st 10lbs) in the last 20 seconds, but the bell prevented a sustained follow-up. However, Lyndsey picked up where she left off in the second and a crunching left to the body made the teenager's legs dip, turn her back in pain and walk way, forcing Mr O'Connor to make an intervention at 1-02. Scragg, now 3-0 (2), had sparred with Jane Couch and Juliette Winter in the run-up to this and is the most skilful female boxer I've seen in the flesh. Brierley Hill's Richie ‘The Blade' Collins (12st 1 1/4lbs) scored a stoppage over Shinfield-trained, Nottingham-based soldier Dave Pearson (12st 5 1/4lbs) in the third of a scheduled light-heavyweight four-twos. Terry O'Connor's intervention may have been a tad soon – 33-year-old Pearson threw a punch as the former pro stepped in – but he had been decked and was really feeling the bodyshots Richie thumped in. Ronnie Brown-advised, Dean Powell-managed Collins had swept the first two rounds and a left to the body dropped the Middlesborough-born scrapper to his haunches in the third. Brave Dave, now 6-18-1 (1), beat the count administered in his corner but was forced back and the same shot in the same place (Pearson's corner) saw his body contort, ducking low, and Mr O'Connor waived it off at 1-20. Collins, now 2-0-1 (1), beat current British Masters light-heavyweight champion Mark Phillips last time out and looks a good prospect. Tristan Davies, Telford's former Midland Area lightweight champion, moved to 11-0 with a 39-37 nod over Worcester's reigning Midland Area light-welterweight champion Billy Smith, who took the fight at an hour's notice. Incidentally, I had Tristan taking all four rounds. Both are trained by Errol Johnson at the Wednesbury Boxing Academy, so iron-chinned Smith, 29, had former pro Jon Pegg in his corner for the contest against tall stylist Davies (10st 8lbs). Billy (10st 1 1/4lbs) is much better than his 10-56 (0) would suggest, but often found himself being picked off by the long jab of the taller 29-year-old Shropshire boxer, who also hit the body well. Davies admitted after the fight: "It wasn't a great showing but I've been out of the ring for a while and it shredded a bit of rust." Doncaster's Howard Foster was the man in the middle for the welterweight four-threes. Halesowen teenager Scott Evans (10 1/2st) made a pleasing professional debut, taking a 40-36 nod over Kurdistan-born Brummie Amir Nadi (10 1/2st) in a four-twos at light-welterweight. Mowhawked Errol Johnson and Jay Morris-trained Evans, 1-0 (0), the first person to turn professional from Halesowen ABC, dominated proceedings behind an educated left lead and hooked the body in the closing rounds to make sure his paid debut was a successful one. Andy Mayers-trained Nadi – a former unpaid performer for Birmingham Irish ABC – is now winless in six but has never been halted early and absorbed all Evans threw and raised his hands at the bell, probably in a personal triumph at lasting the course again. Shrewsbury official Nigel Gill handled the action inside the ropes, with Terry O'Connor scoring on the outside.

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