Harrison survives body snatcher test by Tom Podmore May 1st 2008

Unbeaten light-welterweight prospect Dean Harrison said he'd call time on his fledgling and promising professional career if Stoke-based body punch expert Gary ‘The Body Snatcher' Reid beat him in their eight-rounder at Wolverhampton Civic Hall on April 30. The popular Wolverhampton stylist reasoned that if he couldn't beat Reid, a dangerous and hard-hitting performer who once pushed Ricky Hatton to his limits in the ABAs in 1997 and was rated just outside the domestic top ten entering, then his career would be going nowhere. He said that losing to Reid would mean he'd found his level, a level he thought he had already surpassed. Still, his promoter and legions of noisy supporters needn't have to worry about Harrison not boxing again as he took a hard-fought 78-76 decision from Northampton referee John Keane that saw the local hero pushed back, tested and cut over both eyes by the end of a fascinating fight. For what its worth, I had the hometown boxer winning by a marginally wider score of 78-75. Whatever, Harrison was given a serious argument by the former Wolverhampton-based banger. And the undefeated former England International amateur did things the hard way, trading in a close-quarter battle with the former undefeated Midland Area light-welterweight champion. He could (probably should) have boxed at range – stabbing the jab out, circling the ring and making his height advantage pay dividends. But he worked in close, though picked up two cuts around both eyes (right eyebrow and left eyelid) that Bob Plant worked wonders on, and got the reward for a brave tactic. Dean never looked like wilting under the ferocious body attacks dealt out by the Lindon Newbon-trained puncher, a fighter who'd torn through West Bromwich's Dean Hickman on his last visit to the Black Country (April 2007). Reid may now have lost four of his last five – Ajose Olusegun (Commonwealth title challenge), John Fewkes, Scott Haywood and now Harrison – but he has given them all a torrid struggle. And he looked a tad unlucky to concede a 77-75 verdict to the undefeated and exciting Fewkes, challenging John Murray for the English lightweight strap in Nottingham next week, last October. But the 35-year-old, who has been on the wrong end of several close decisions throughout his ten-year professional career and is probably used to it, had no complaints about this and immediately turned back to his corner as the final bell tolled. He knew he hadn't done enough. The sawn-off slugger left the Civic Hall with plenty of credit, however. Harrison (10st 1lb 14oz) started slowly and cautiously, hands cupped on his temple, watching what a pocket-sized battler who'd destroyed current the current British welterweight champion, Paisley's Kevin Mcintyre, would do. He had his answer by the halfway mark. Bustling in, Reid went directly towards the long body of the former top ten-rated amateur. In the second Gary was steaming in and the 24-year-old Errol Johnson-trained ticket-seller was meeting him head-on. Both took turns testing the other's resolve: Reid with hooks to the body and Harrison with hard and solid short uppercuts on the inside. The Staffordshire-based scrapper had the last word, however, drilling the local with a powerful right. After John Keane told both men to clean things up, Harrison started to give his body punching-loving opponent a taste of his own unpleasant medicine during the third, although picked up a nasty cut for his troubles. And he was forced to tuck his elbows into his ribs for large parts of the fourth as the shorter man from the Potteries ferociously attacked. The contest started to get scrappy in the fifth, both electing to hold and rabbit punch when in close. However, Harrison started to create some space for himself in the sixth and seventh. Stepping back, the Wolverhampton Wanderers supporter started to bounce solid-looking left hands off the incoming Reid's (10st 2 3/4lbs) dome – one of which made his legs dip momentarily. But Reid, with a small mouse under his right eye and urged on by Scott Lawton in his corner and Alex Ibbs at ringside, was ferocious in the final three minutes. Sensing a big round could tighten the scoring, the former two-time British Masters champion never stopped ploughed forward and throwing punches. Harrison looked rattled at one point but gritted it out and deservedly had his raised for the twelfth time in twelve (three inside). Evaluation: Harrison did well but made life harder than it probably needed to be. We're used to seeing him working behind his accurate jab, switching attacks from head and body and winning at range – stepping inside when he has broken his opponent down. He tried a new and dangerous tactic, fighting inside from the off, and pulled it off, albeit being sliced open in the process. That said, Reid isn't the type of fighter who lets you do what you've set out to do. Here's a fight I'd like to see: Harrison-Scott Haywood. The Derby light-welter, 17-2 (3), beat Reid over six last time out (59-56, Nottingham, March) and fights in Nottingham tomorrow night. An all-Midland clash between Harrison, rated 12 in BBN's rankings, and Shinfield-handled Haywood, rated 13, would be good for both men and move their careers onto the next level. Reid, now with a misleading and unflattering 13-20-1 (8) record that doesn't paint a true reflection of his talent, has lost to three future British champions during his up-and-down career (West Brom's Young Mutley, who was in the crowd, and solid-hitting Scottish pair Barry Morrison and Kevin Mcintyre). Expect that number to reach four in the coming years. Rob Hunt, in the chief support that went on directly after the eight-round main event, took part in his first six-threes on this good-value First Team-promoted bill in the Black Country. He was looking to impress, but had to endure a frustrating night with the claiming hands of Coventry hardman Baz Carey (10st 1lb) The Stafford ticket-seller emerged with a 60-55 nod from Nigel Gill. I had Hunt (10st 4lbs) taking all six sessions, incidentally. Paul Dykes-trained Rob (6ft) towered over 5'5 Carey and probably would have liked to have made use of his advantage and done some work at a distance. But Baz, with Jon Pegg and old foe Scott Lawton in his corner, is a clever veteran who knows how to see himself through against the tall, long-armed men. He tied the prospect up in close, held on the blindside of Mr Gill and grabbed the ropes when in a corner. The 22-year-old was limited to trying to nail the iron-chinned 37-year-old as he marched in throughout the 18-minute bout. Once the shaven-headed two-time Midland Area title challenger had managed to get inside the long arms of Hunt, now at an impressive-looking 9-0 (1), he wouldn't let go. That set the pattern for a dull and repetitive six rounds. There is talk of former kickboxer Hunt, who only had two amateur bouts (both wins, both by stoppage) for Stafford ABC, fighting for the Midland Area light-welterweight title, currently held by Worcester hardman Billy Smith, in the next six months. That would be a good test and one he would probably react positively to. Two undefeated fighters, Errol Johnson-trained Wolverhampton light-middleweight Rob Kenney and Jay Morris-trained Stourbridge light-welterweight Scott Evans, met men they had outpointed at this venue in October – Rotherham's Paul Royston and Kurdistan-born, Birmingham-based Amir Nadi. Kenney (11st 2lbs 2oz) had outscored Royston by a margin of 60-54 in October but had to settle for a closer 59-57 vote this time around from John Keane (scoring on the outside). If that looked a tad close for me, I had it in Kenney's favour by a clearer score of 59-55, it was never an easy night for the Wolverhampton stylist in the six-twos show-opener. Royston may not win many, only three wins (two quickly) in 21, but works hard, has never been stopped and seldom presents a stationary target. The Dave Coldwell-trained scrapper has even won since they last met, a six-round victory over Leeds' Chris Thompson, and seems to be improving by the outing. He never had any amateur bouts but a long and distinguished career in martial arts. The local was forced to eat his share of long rights but was generally in command against the iron-jawed Yorkshireman (11st 4lbs). He snapped his defenceless 23-year-old opponent's head back throughout with a sharp jab, following up with accurate right hands and improves to seven without loss (one draw). Trialist referee Rob Chalmers officiated Chalmers was also the man in the middle for Evans' scrap, with the Hagley puncher improving on his 40-36 victory over Nadi last year by putting the Brummie on the floor twice and stopping him in three rounds. It was the first time in nine outings (all losses) that the former Birmingham Irish ABC boxer had failed to hear the final bell. Mowhawked Scott was scheduled to have his sternest test on the bill against Plymouth's David ‘Dezzie' O'Connor, 2-1 (1), but he pulled out on Tuesday night. In stepped durable Nadi, 25, and he was expected to take Evans the distance again, this time over six-twos instead of four-twos. The 20-year-old shrugged off that disappointment and dismantled his brave but limited opponent bit by bit. Solid body shots whacked into his sides in the first two rounds and then a left to the body, left to the head and another right to the head sent Amir crashing heavily to the floor midway through the third. Dazed, he got up, but was bundled over by another right moments later. He beat the count once more, looking worse this time, but was drilled in centre ring and the towel came in as Nadi dropped again. Derby's Mr Chalmers, who looked as if he was just about to stop the show-closer anyway, accepted. Time was 1-50. Both were 10st 4lbs and Evans is still unbeaten at 4-0 (2). Wolverhampton's Lyndsey Scragg (9st 1lb 6oz) had a testing and torrid six-twos against Viktoria Oleynik (8st 10lbs), a 31-year-old Ukrainian who pushed Jane Couch over six rounds on her last visit to England. Scragg had her hand raised, 59-57 for Mr Gill, but finished with a bloody nose and bruises under both eyes in a fast-paced, exciting contest. I'd seen relentless Oleynik against Couch, undercard of Wayne Elcock-Lawrence Murphy II at the ICC, Birmingham, and she'd impressed me then. She gave away seven pounds against the Bristol-based trailblazer but still ploughed forward and rattled the heavier and experienced ‘Fleetwood Assassin' throughout. And the tenacious Kiev scrapper dragged the former ABA champion into a nose-to-nose war, something that suited her more than measured boxer Lyndsey. I had it level after three rounds, but Scragg's better boxer started to pay dividends in the last three and she looked a clearer winner than Mr Gill's scoreline would suggest. Still, it was an excellent learning fight for Errol Johnson-trained Scragg, 29, who'd had things all her own way in her previous four paid bouts. She moves to 5-0 (3). Another Wolverhampton fighter, southpaw debutant Russell ‘Rooster' Colley (10st 11lbs), sent his hundreds of vociferous supporters home happy and got his career off to a flying start by outpointing durable 110-fight Peter Dunn (11st 1lb), Pontefract, Mr Keane marking it 40-37 to the Black Country first-timer. The Errol Johnson-trained light-middleweight fought for England in the colours of Wednesfield ABC and looked good against the 33-year-old Yorkshireman. He opened a cut on the bridge of Mick Marsden-trained Dunn's nose in the opening round and brought through some spearing lefts as the four-twos drew to a close. Undefeated Birmingham heavyweight Neil Perkins (15st 11lbs) took on that other gritty and anvil-chinned Mick Marsden-trained Yorkshireman, Featherstone's Paul Bonson (14st 6lbs), and emerged a 59-55 six-twos winner for Mr Gill, who was dwarfed by the two heavyweights. Sheldon-based, Errol Johnson-trained Perkins will have learned from his fight with Bonson, 36, only stopped by punches once in his long and hard-fought career – when iron-fisted Stourbridge southpaw Rob Norton knocked him out in a British Masters title scrap in 2004. Neil boxed well behind the jab but was a tad one-paced and was caught by the 122-bout former rugby league player in the last four minutes. Perkins, 26, is now unbeaten in two.

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