Rendall rules the Euro by Jim Wright May 3rd 2008

Leicester's Rendall Munroe successfully defended his European super-bantamweight belt by finding a solution to the riddle that is the enigmatic Frenchman Salem Bouaita at Nottingham's Harvey Hadden sports complex. Munroe's entourage came to the ring in their trademark fluorescent high-vis vests that pay homage to Rendall's day job on the bins in his hometown of Leicester. There was that many vests in the crowd that the Harvey Hadden looked like it was playing host to a safety steward's convention, but Munroe put in a high-visibility performance that was beamed across the nation on sky sports that further enhances the popular Leicester-man's rags to riches reputation. Unconventional continental import Salem Bouaita started brightly, swinging in the straight-telegraphed right mainly to the body then probing the head of the champion. Munroe marched forward, looking to press the slippery show-boating Frenchman. As the fight progressed Munroe's rhythm improved and he began to find subtle ways of coming to terms with the challenger who at times resembled having the upper body of a worse for wear rag doll on the legs of a world-class boxer who was able to keep dancing out of the way of the champion. But just having good footwork was never going to be enough to deny Munroe his first defence of a title he so gallantly won eight weeks previous against the much touted Spaniard Kiko Martinez at the same venue. By the seventh round the pressure was starting to tell on Bouaita. Munroe, with several rounds in the bag, found yet another gear to turn the screw on the anxious looking challenger. No longer were the legs of Salem keeping him in the fight and out of danger, now they were trapped in corners or pinned on the ropes, allowing Rendall to get to his work. As the challenger returned to his corner at the end of the seventh, he'd had enough and quit on his stool, citing an arm injury to prevent him answering the bell for the eighth. A decision by the French camp clearly made in light of the fact that Munroe had his man by the balls and increased his grip with each passing round. Buzzing around during the post-fight interviews was British champion Esham Pickering who is pressing for a shot at the title. With Rendall on the ascendancy and many feeling that Pickering's best days are behind him, the time may be right for an all East midlands showdown that has that added bonus of a bit of needle between the two warriors. But one thing Munroe isn't short of is options so the Shinfield/ Maloney collaboration will have to sit down and plan the best possible route for the battling two tone binman who should now surely be applying his full attention to rounds in the ring and not the bin rounds of Leicester. That's Rendall's call and it is refreshing to see such a grounded understated man get to the top of his game, Rocky eat your heart out! Chief support was provided by Hackney's Ian Napa who bagged a Lonsdale belt for keeps as he convincingly saw off the challenge of Belfast's Colin Moffett with a unanimous 12 round decision for the British bantamweight title. Napa showed that he was a class above the challenger from the off. The champion chose to root himself to the spot, lay his back against the ropes and block, dodge and slip much of the Northern Irishman's attacks while firing back the meatier shots in reply. The fight was fought on the champion's terms, at close range where Ian banged away to the body then whipped in the short shots to the head when he had cleverly made the gaps in the brave challenger's defence. By the midway point of the fight, Moffett, realising that the fight was slipping away from him, stood off his target and gave himself a bit more room to get his shots off. But Napa was too cute for this and confirmed his dominance by capitalising on the extra room to pick his man off at longer range. The second half of the fight was typified by the champion asking the questions of Moffett's defence and the classy champion having the answers to the challenges advances. Although often rooted to the spot, Napa tucked his chin in behind his shoulder and provided lots of vertical head movement to stay elusive. The fight was in such a grove that some in the audience started making their own between round entertainment by showing their love to the man in the middle Micky Vann with a few choruses of Micky, Micky give us a wave, with the Leeds' legend duly obliging with a sheepish raise of the hand. Round 10 and somehow Moffett looked like he had summoned up a second wind from somewhere. The Belfast battler never gave up and pressed the fight but lacked the penetration to knock the champion out of his stride. The following round saw Napa launch a right that glanced of Colin's shoulder on the way to the challenger's chin and put him on the canvass. Referee Mickey Vann who was a spectator for most of the fight burst into action and sent Napa to a neutral corner so he could administer a count for Moffett who wasn't hurt but more caught off balance by the shot. Napa tasted the canvas himself in the last but this time it was from a genuine slip with the champion losing the support of his back foot as he tried to kick off it to get out of the challenger's corner. Judges at ringside called the fight, Richie Davies 119-109, John Keane 117-108 and Howard Foster closer at 117-111 but all in favour of the retaining champion Ian Napa who realises an ambition of keeping the strap for good after making a hat-trick of Lonsdale victories. It could be a case of what could have been as much as what is going to be for Napa who has got his act together to produce performances to match his undoubted skills and talent. Textbook stuff from the champion and a pleasure to watch.

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