Don’t stick the nut on Rod Anderton by Tom Podmore May 18th 2008

Don't stick the nut on Rod Anderton. The Nottingham puncher looked to be a mile behind when his opponent, Birmingham-based Iranian Hamed Jamali, used his head freely in a clinch during the seventh and instigated a turnaround that saw Anderton grunt and bulldoze his way to a 97-94 verdict from John Keane. For what its worth, I had Hamed winning the contest, a ten-rounder for the vacant International Masters light-heavyweight title, by a margin of 97-95. Still, such was the closeness of some of the rounds in a gripping toe-to-toe war of attrition at Burton-on-Trent's Meadowside Leisure Centre (Friday, May 16) – both finding the target often during the last five rounds – that I had no real complaints about career-lightest Anderton's hand being raised at the final bell. Well-supported Anderton did, however, finish with his left eye almost closed and also cut on the left eyelid, surviving an inspection from the ringside doctor in the seventh (a pivotal round that started a shift in the momentum). Jamali, whose last crack at a belt, the vacant British Masters against Simeon Cover in 2004, also saw him lose controversially, finished with both eyes bruised and heavily swollen. It was that kind of fight. While Hamed looked the smaller man, a former super-middleweight conceding height (5'9 to 5'11) and natural weight (Rod had boxed as high as cruiserweight), though heavier at the weigh-in, to the East Midlander, he put in a sterling effort. He had won five of the first six rounds for me and then put in a big final three minutes in an effort to swing the verdict in his favour. It wasn't to be. But Jamali, despite those said disadvantages, rocked the well-built former Midland Area light-heavyweight title challenger several times. He also, as predicted for a 200-bout amateur who pushed Carl Froch to his limits in the vest and headguard, looked the better, sharper boxer. He often used a left or right to catch Anderton over the top as he bustled in with his hands low. That said, you couldn't fault shaven-headed Rod's bravery or determination to get the victory and title: trying to walk through his opponent's punches in an effort to make his own clubbing and solid-looking blows show. He never gave up even when at times, especially in round three, it looked as if he was a only punch or two away from being stopped. It would make for a cracking rematch. And Anderton, cheered on at ringside by Shinfield stablemates Scott Haywood, Adie Whitmore – who outpointed Jamali over four in March – European super-bantam boss Rendall Munroe and an ex-Shinfield fighter, Nottingham's Commonwealth bantamweight champ Jason Booth, knew he was in for a long and difficult night's work in the opening three. Although boxing aggressively on the front foot, his head was continually knocked sideways from rights, one such shot earning a nod of recognition from Rod, and then was drilled with corkscrew left uppercuts as he tried to force the fight more in the later stages. Jamali (12st 7lbs), with experienced world champion trainer Lenny Woodhall leading his corner, began to double his lead by the second, following up with reaching lefts over the top and then finishing with a right. And things looked bad for the Jason Shinfield-trained banger in the third. Staggered by a right hand from the Brummie, Rod stumbled around the ring drunkenly as Jamali flew at the rattled man with both fists. Better picking of punches from Hamed might have wrapped it up then, but a lot of shots were wild. The wildness gave Anderton chance to hold and clear his head. The tattooed Bilborough fighter then had a better fourth – having his Persian co-challenger on wobbly legs after finding space for a hammer right – but was forced on the back foot in the following session. And Jamali, on the advice of his corner to keep his hands up and stay on the outside, found enough space to catch the Nottingham Forrest supporter with lefts and rights over the top. Again, as had been seen in the previous six, Anderton (12st 4lbs) had his head sent crashing back in the early stages of the seventh. The rough, tough and bloody three minutes really got going after a clash of heads, though. Anderton, tying Jamali up with his back to the ropes, caught a butt flush in the face and, angry by this infringement, pushed his fellow-Midlander off, grunted and hammered home a right that had his opponent disorganised and dazed. Rod then won the next two rounds for me as he ploughed forward in search of the early finish. The 29-year-old outworked the tiring veteran, visibly breathing hard from the sixth onwards, and again had the 35-year-old, urged on at ringside by Birmingham stablemates Max Maxwell, the Midland Area middleweight boss, Nasser Al Harbi and Eddie McIntosh, looking shakey. Jamali, 9-6 (1), shrugged off the tiredness to bombard the taller man, now on a five-fight unbeaten run (one draw), throughout the last round. Despite the last-round heroics from the spent ironman, It wasn't enough to swing the verdict for Mr Keane, who had it to the popular Nottingham crowdpleaser by three rounds. Anderton, now 11-2-1 (3) and who's fitness started to show in the latter stages, is the latest champion in the Shinfields flourishing stable of fighters. Burton's favourite fighting son, super-middleweight Jonjo Finnegan, was told he'd never box again after a head-on car crash last November. Six months later and he returned to the win column for the first time since 2006 with a 40-37 four-threes win from Nigel Gill over Dave Pearson, Middlesbrough-born but Nottingham-based, on this entertaining First Team (Paul (PJ) Rowson and Errol Johnson) promotion. Having bested the Shinfield-trained soldier on three occasions previously – the last one being the former ABA semi-finalist's last victory (Middlesbrough, September 2006) – Finnegan was always favoured to add win 11 to his pro ledger, three defeats, three draws, after back-to-back defeats in challenges for titles in 2007, Midland Area and British Masters. Pearson (12st 6lbs), despite his unflattering pro statistics (six wins and a draw in 29), can look after himself. The tall, wiry 34-year-old took some solid left hooks, to both head and body, throughout the 12-minute bout and was still standing at the final bell. He's a known quantity at this venue, losing a close eight-rounder (78-76) to the same man 26 months ago. Still, Errol Johnson-trained Finnegan (a career-heaviest at 12st 11lbs) generally dominated matters with the left, driving his taller opponent to the ropes and in corners for the majority of the bout. His timing was a tad off, to be expected after almost nine months out of action, but he dug in some good hooks to the body and the 28-year-old ticket-seller won every session for me. Good to see Jonjo, who could box Anderton for the Masters belt later in the year, back in competitive action and proving the doctors wrong. A lot is expected of light-welterweight James Flinn (10st 8lbs), Coventry, after a trophy-filled amateur career that saw him reign as the best in the Midlands for the best part of a decade. He made sure his pro journey started successfully with a three-round cut stoppage over winless but durable Bristol-based Welshman Lance Verallo (10st 2lbs) in a six-twos. Flinn, as would be expected of a former top-rated amateur who boxed for Wales, was a class above Verallo. As old amateur rival Scott Haywood – the 18-2 Derby light-welter who lost two fights (one by stoppage) to the Coventry stylist in the vest – looked on from ringside, Flinn took apart the brave Welshman, 23, with an assortment of double hooks to the body, uppercuts and straight rights. Verallo was on the back foot throughout the third as the Errol Johnson-trained former ABA semi-finallist, who brought a sizeable fan club with him from the Tile Hill area of Coventry, found room to land his accurate blows. One such punch left Lance, now without a win in 25, cut on the left eye, forcing referee Rob Chalmers to take him to the doctor, who waived it off at 1-59. Despite the brave and willing West Country-based boxer's vehement protests, Mr Chalmers made the correct decision in ending the bout. Besides, Lance was under the kybosh from the skilful and quick-fisted West Midlander, now 1-0 (1), who looked good when he smacked his opponent's torso with hooks and then brought up fast left uppercuts to the head. Undefeated Woodville light-middleweight Duane Parker met Peter Dunn on his professional debut in September (also at this atmospheric Staffordshire venue), boxing beautifully to earn a shutout 60-54 win. Nine months later, however, and Parker was forced to haul himself off the canvas before emerging with a 58-56 six-twos victory over the shorter but tough and experienced Pontefract veteran. Errol Johnson-trained Parker, 20, boxed brightly in the opening two rounds: circling the ring, using his advantage in height to good effect and catching the smaller man with hooks. But he grew too confident in the third. Stepping inside, Duane paid the price when dumped heavily in the neutral corner by a crunching overhand right from the 111-fight 33-year-old. Shaken, the popular former Burton ABC boxer got to his feet and had to avoid a hearty follow-up from the Mick Marsden-trained Yorkshireman, who sensed he could register his maiden stoppage in a long and hard career (12 wins, four draws). Duane regained his senses quickly enough and went back to circling the ring in the ensuing three rounds. Although the scoreline handed up from Mr Keane (scoring on the outside for Mr Chalmers) was correct, as was most of the scoring throughout the evening, the tall, long-armed local never had it his own way and knew he'd been in a fight. Both weighed 11st and Parker is now unbeaten in three (all on points). Derby welterweight Luke Gallear (a career-lightest at 10st 6lbs) entered his six-twos with Halesowen first-timer Kevin McCauley (10st 3lbs) with two fights and two defeats (his last one being by third-round stoppage). Understandably, he was desperate to chalk a “W” into his ledger for the first time and did so, Mr Gill handing the tattooed Derby County supporter a 58-57 victory in a spirited and entertaining encounter. I had the score the other way round, but there were no complaints. Although most of the two-minute rounds were close and even, the tanned and muscular Jay Morris-trained McCauley seemed to have the edge in most for me. The Black Country fighter dropped the Shinfield-trained scrapper with a left in the second, although it looked like a slip when going backwards, and cracked the willing welterweight with some decent hooks as he charged in. Luke, 23 and with a tattoo of Rocky Marciano on his left calf, threw a blur of shots that Joe Calzaghe would have been proud of in the last three rounds, albeit with little regard for defence (much like the undefeated Welshman, then). Kevin took most on the gloves but some got through and Gallear celebrated his first paid win by jumping around the ring. Another Shinfield-handled Derbyshire fighter, ticket-selling Ripley debutant Simon Ivekich (10st 7lbs), had to make do with a thrilling 58-58 six-twos draw with Errol Johnson-trained Worcester banger Steve Cooper (10st 8lbs), who's 3-23-3 (2) record doesn't really do him much justice. Mr Gill officiated the curtain-raiser. Ivekich, a former full-contact Midland kickboxing champion, showed a decent chin to absorb Cooper's hammer-fisted long rights in a give-and-take 12-minute contest that saw both eat solid punches. Simon was a sucker for that right, his left glove far too low, but reddened the face of the durable 30-year-old Worcestershire man in the last three and a draw looked about right.

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