Gethin boxes masterfully to outpoint brave and tenacious Wyatt by Tom Podmore Feb 26th 2008

Martin Gethin extended his unbeaten run to 14 fights (one draw) and boxed beautifully to outpoint dangerous Torquay-based Iranian Ali Wyatt over eight rounds on Pat Cowdell's three-fight card at a sold-out Burlington Hotel last night (February 25). Referee Shaun Messer (the man in the middle throughout) scored the eight-twos to the Walsall lightweight by a score of 79-75. For what its worth, I had Gethin taking the verdict by a closer margin of 78-74. All-action Wyatt is a known quantity in Birmingham; this was the fifth successive time he'd boxed in the Second City (two wins, two defeats and a draw) and fourth time he'd gone to work at the Burlington Hotel. And his two blood-soaked battles with Coventry's Joe McCluskey (one win, one draw) at this venue won't be forgotten by anyone who saw them. The other defeat in Birmingham arrived at the same location in October, retired after six rounds against brick-fisted Mansfield-based Latvian Alex ‘Pitbull' Spitko. The youngest of the three fighting Gethin brothers boxed on that same bill, incidentally, and stopped Darren Broomhall in three one-sided sessions. But the reigning Midland Area lightweight champion, who boxed exactly a month ago in London against Wolverhampton dangerman Carl Allen (getting revenge for a contentious draw in Dudley last April), showed he had the skills to match his power with a display of measured and controlled boxing. His potential hasn't gone unnoticed. The First Team-promoted stylist boxed in Las Vegas the night before Ricky Hatton-Floyd Mayweather in December and took care of bigger, dangerous Fabian Luque, 21-5-4 entering, in five rounds – a win that impressed all that were present at the MGM Grand that night. And the 24-year-old former British Masters light-welterweight champion looks ready for another step up on the evidence of his latest showing against a rugged, uncompromising puncher who holds a four-round draw with former ABA champion Michael Grant. Although purple-shorted Wyatt (10st 2lbs) started on the front foot, Gethin had assumed control by the end of the first minute. The local man kept himself just about outside of Ali's punching range, countering with right hands as the West Country fighter reached with his lead. And Errol Johnson-trained Martin showed some real flashes of class in the second two minutes. Rolling under the wild and wide hooks being aimed at his dome, Gethin replied immediately with double jabs and bounced a right hook onto the Devon man's jaw. Wyatt, now grazed on the bridge of the nose, was forced to concede ground twice during the third – a right hand finding the target in the first 30 seconds and then a hook-cum-uppercut in the latter stages. Gethin, always in command, even found time to take his foot of the pedal in the fourth. But the fifth saw normal service being resumed. Gethin had everything covered, twisting his right hand over his chin so to block any follow-up counters when on the offensive, and switched from head to body, body to head. The Black Country fighter's attacks during those two minutes would have put a lesser man away. Martin (10st 1lb) was slipping punches or moving out of range when Ali, now 3-4-2 (3) and face red and swollen after continual shipping of solid shots, looked to land in the sixth, even making the Chris Sanigar-trained puncher's eyes roll with a short right uppercut in the final 60 seconds. The last two rounds were hard for a tiring Wyatt, who was made to look clumsy and wild after impressive footwork from the Walsall-based banger during the seventh. A fast-handed left-right-left had Ali in distress during the eighth and even though he managed to push Gethin to the floor – Sanigar raising a laugh when counting one, two… – he was under the kybosh on the resumption. Gethin improves to 13-0-1 (5). It wasn't the best of nights for Pat Cowdell's fighters, both of whom lost by second-round stoppages. The most shocking saw Leamington Spa light-middleweight Richard Mazurek, returning to action for the first time in 18 months, folding after a bright start against Bristol-based Turk Rocky Chakir. It was the first time in 15 paid fights that the Warwickshire man had been halted inside the distance. He'd previously taken the likes of Darren Barker, Franny Jones, Jozsef Matolcsi and George Hillyard to points, even snatching some rounds off the aforementioned men. Age and inactivity may have withered the oak tree. Still, the 30-year-old, from the same town as former undisputed world middleweight champion Randolph Turpin, made a bright start to the six-twos. He'd gone to work straight away, switched lefts from head to body and used a solid left lead and follow-up right to keep the West Country-domiciled fighter at a reasonable distance. Chakir, 25 and now on a three-fight winning run, looked apprehensive in the opening two minutes, throwing little. Chris Sanigar, beside himself with his fighter's lack of urgency, implored his charge to throw more punches – most notably straight ones – between rounds. Purple-shorted Rocky heeded that advice from his manager, looked more enthusiastic to the task at the start of the next session and finished the contest in excellent fashion. After a solid start to the second, Mazurek felt a straight right in the neutral corner; an innocuous-looking shot that made his legs stiffen and his eyes roll. But he still had enough about him to try and grab hold, though was caught by a hail of solid-looking punches from the Bristol banger, sagged on the ropes and sunk slowly to the floor. Mazurek, now 7-7-1 (2), tried his utmost to get into an upright position, getting as far as his knees, but his undercarriage wouldn't let him go any further and rolled onto the bottom rope where Shaun Messer rightly dispensed with his count at 1-57 of the second. This defeat could spell the end for the normally iron-chinned and hard-hitting Pat Cowdell-trained fighter from Leamington, who shook his head ruefully as he sat on his stool receiving oxygen. He was able to leave the ring on his own steam after five minutes. Both weighed 11st 1lb and Chakir, having scored back-to-back wins in the West Midlands in recent months, is now 4-3 (2). Another Pat Cowdell-trained fighter to be crushed in two rounds was Coventry super-middleweight John Ruddock, now winless in four paid bouts. The southpaw had almost beaten Cardiff's David Gentles (12st 2lbs) at the Holiday Inn before Christmas, losing by a point in a six-rounder, yet wasn't at the races in this six-twos. Ruddock, a former K-1 exponent, was far too sparing with his punches in their last meeting so employed a new tactic in the rematch: start quickly and throw plenty of leather. But the strategy didn't go quite to plan as the Welshman met him head-on and got the better of the close-quarter exchanges. Although warned for slapping twice during a wild and untidy opening two minutes, the Brian Coleman-trained former amateur champion had the Midlander looking disorganised and on the brink of a stoppage for the majority of the first 120 seconds. John stumbled around, back half-turned at times, and the bell saved him from a one-round humiliation. But Gentles, now 3-2 (1), picked up where he left off, making his foe's legs do a little dance within the first ten seconds and sending the brave Midlander to the deck with a right moments later. Mr Messer had seen enough and made a well-timed intervention without counting. Time: 0-17. That's the second time Ruddock (12st 2lbs) has been halted in a rematch. He'd lost on points on his debut to Walsall's Matty Hough in 2006, then was stopped in three last September. As previously alluded to, he'd pushed the Welshman in their first fight in December, but was then battered in the second meeting. The future looks unclear for the 34-year-old.

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