Eastman may be pushed by Elcock by Tom Podmore Sep 27th 2007

Birmingham's Wayne Elcock, after almost year of chasing, finally gets his wish this week – the chance to fight for the British middleweight title once more. Standing in his way of the Lonsdale belt, however, will be two-time world title challenger Howard Eastman, a man whose never tasted defeat against a British fighter. Pat Cowdell, who won the second round of purse bids after Frank Maloney pulled out of the running when Sky Sports dropped their interest, promotes the British and Commonwealth title clash at the Coventry Skydome on Friday night (September 28). This, by the way, will be the first show at the Skydome since Coventry's Andy Halder successfully defended his Midland Area middleweight title against Shrewsbury southpaw Roddy Doran in June 2005. Sky were not impressed with Eastman's last showing in April – a meek twelve-round decision over Kenyan Evans Ashira at Dudley Town Hall. They've now decided Howard doesn't fit in with their future plans. So this is a non-televised British title fight, which I always feel is a bit of a travesty – especially when this match is of the quality of this one. Cowdell, a former British, Commonwealth and European champion, said: “We haven't had many British title fights in the Midlands recently and I am delighted to be the figurehead for this one. "Paddy and Tommy Lynch managed my career towards the end and it is great to get back together with them officially again. Between us we will make sure that Wayne has every chance of winning the Lonsdale Belt." This is a potentially intriguing and explosive twelve-round clash between the number one and number two-rated middleweights in the United Kingdom, at least in BBN's domestic rankings. Elcock, 33, the current English champion and mandatory challenger, knows he's up against it but refuses to believe this is an impossible assignment against a man who has looked unbeatable against Britain's and Europe's best in the last seven years. “People are saying that I can't beat Eastman, that he is unbeatable at this level. I don't believe that. I think I can do it and it would be a dream to bring the British title to Birmingham. “Eastman has been a great champion but his last two performances have shown he is not as good as he was and that he's slowing down. Now is the perfect time to pounce. “He doesn't fight the full rounds, he is taking more shots and seems to be going through the motions. I think that the opportunity has come along at the best possible time. “Having said that, I wouldn't underestimate him for a second,” Elcock was quick to add. “I have taken little notice of his last performance and will be training for the Eastman that beat Scott Dann in 2003.” Plymouth puncher Dann outpointed the Shard End boxer in 2005 to win the British belt outright. Eastman, although briefly rattled in the opener, halted the Devon man in three, by way of symmetry. “The Lynch brothers and Pat have been magnificent to me. I cannot speak highly enough of them,” Wayne, an ardent Birmingham City supporter, continued. "What they have done is made sure that my present schedule stays the same. Had the fight been put back until December I would have needed a warm up and that would have been messy.” ‘The Battersea Bomber', although on the slide, still seems to have more than enough in the locker to reign as King of the British scene. The old adage ‘He's probably forgotten more than they've ever known' rings true when you think of him. But Elcock is hungry, determined and fresh. He'll also have the backing of plenty passionate Brummie's looking to roar him on to victory at the atmospheric and impressive Skydome complex in Coventry's bustling city centre. Not that iron-chinned Eastman, yet to taste the canvas in 46 paid outings, will be bothered about that. He has fought in front of partisan crowds in America and Germany against world-class fighters like Bernard Hopkins, Edison Miranda, Willie Joppy and Arthur Abraham. So one can't see the vociferous faithful from nearby Birmingham perturbing him in the slightest. Howard is the taller, naturally bigger man and his skills took him into the world top three. After the meek performance against Evans Ashira at the Dudley Town Hall last time out, Eastman might want to make a statement in the West Midlands. And ticket-seller Wayne will have been out of the ring nine months by fight time. Will the inactivity hinder him? Maybe. But we'll know for certain on Friday evening in Coventry. To stack the odds even more heavily in the Rob McCracken-trained fighter's favour, Howard has never lost in Britain or to a British fighter. That is one hell of a record and one he will be out to preserve. But Paddy Lynch, Elcock's trainer, is confident his charge can be the first to do it and said: "It was more important that Wayne got his chance. He is a Brummie lad and it is good for Birmingham. "I also happen to think that he can with the title, although I have no illusions about the immensity of the task. "Eastman has had loads of fights just below world class and his 46-fight record speaks for itself. "Elcock's record doesn't anywhere near match that. He is not in the same class but he can move up into it. "Elcock's fitness will be the key against Eastman who, at 36, is physically on the way down. "Speed and power will win this one and Elcock has that in abundance." Last year was definitely one of Wayne's best since he turned over in 1999 with a six-round decision over Willie Webster. He won three times (all via the short-route), added two titles to his collection and then got a career-best win to round off an amazing 12 months. The year started with a five-round revenge stoppage over Lawrence Murphy, the man who famously knocked him cold in Scotland and relieved him of his WBU title in 2003. Elcock was on fire at the ICC last May and dropped Murphy three times on Ken Purchase's debut show. He then collected the WBF International bauble with a six-round bodyshot KO of Scottish middleweight champion Vinny Baldassara in September, before procuring the English title with a devastating performance over Coventry's Steve Bendall in December. Crafty southpaw Bendall, who fights on the undercard and tips Elcock to win, was never at the races at the Aston Villa Events Centre and the constant shipping of rights brought the referee's timely intervention in round eight. Elcock boxes cleverly, moves intelligently, hits hard and can take a solid shot, forget the Murphy knockout, it was a temple shot – a shot that would have done the same to nine fighters out ten. He proved his chin against iron-fisted Scott Dann. The Brummie holds some other quality wins on his 19-fight paid ledger. Russian hardman Yuri Tsarenko, who had busted-up and beat undefeated Gary Lockett the year before, was handily outscored in a testing ten-rounder back in February 2003. Manchester warrior Anthony Farnell was another who was outboxed, outfought, dropped and relieved of his beloved WBU middleweight title by wide margins (119-108, 118-108 and 116-111) a fight after Tsarenko. But Eastman (rightly so) is the favourite to retain his British and Commonwealth 160lb titles. He has mixed at a higher level, won at a higher level, has been on the peripheries of world-class for years and is, despite his slowness and lack of workrate, still a very hard man to get the better of. Sure, Howard could be outworked, but to do that you run the risk of walking onto one of the Londoner's uppercuts or right hands. A clean connection from one of those blows and the chances are you'll be looking up at the referee as he toils the count. Eastman won back the Lonsdale belt last December with a twelve-round knockout win over Stockwell stylist Richard Williams. The fight simmered but never really sizzled and the Battersea-based puncher broke up the former Commonwealth boss and finished off with the famed right. A fight that showed that Eastman, 42-4 (35), wasn't finished just yet. The New Amsterdam-born middleweight has defeated many a world-class fighter in a pro career that started in Sheffield back in 1994. Sam Soliman, Rob McCracken, former WBC champ Hacine Cherifi, Jerry Elliot… just some of those who left with an “L” on their ledgers. Although many see Eastman as the only winner, Elcock shouldn't be written off. His last three performances have shown he is a force to be reckoned with when on his game. He has a superb chance if Eastman isn't motivated. Expect Wayne, a natural counter-puncher, to press the action and try and outwork his ageing fellow Englishman in the early stages, hoping to catch the judge's eye with a busy approach. He is also clever enough to avoid Howard's punches, but wily Howard knows how to do just enough to pinch the rounds. It also depends on what type of Eastman turns up. If the Eastman who fought lazily in April against Evans Ashira shows up, Elcock has a huge chance of upsetting the apple cart and he can take the belts home with him to the Second City. And reports in the Midlands press suggest Howard has only just arrived from Guyana for a few days training with trainer and former foe McCracken. News like that can only be positive for nice guy Elcock. I feel it can be quite close for the first three-quarters of the fight but one thinks Howard's greater experience at a higher level will prove decisive and he should assume control from the sixth or seventh session. Eastman has to be favoured to come through on the scorecards. At today's weigh-in, Elcock weighed 11st 5lb, while Eastman had to strip naked to make the weight of 11st 6lb, after coming in a quarter of a pound over the limit first time round. Coventry southpaw Steve Bendall, 26-3 (13), returns to action for the second time in as many months when he goes in an eight-rounder against thirty-six-year-old Andrejz Butowicz, 12-20 (4), who lost in three rounds to Dudley's Darren McDermott on his last visit to the British Isles. Another ambitious Coventry scrapper, Pat Cowdell-trained super-bantamweight Dougie Walton, 4-0-1 (1), looks to stay unbeaten and close in on a crack at a title in the next year when he boxes against a man he dropped and outpointed in his last contest, Telford's Shaun ‘Slasher' Walton – four wins, three draws. Bedworth's Midland Area twelve-stone champion Neil Tidman, 6-4 (1), also trained by Cowdell, warms up for a first defence of his Area title on November 2, when he meets Northampton's Paul David, in a six against Ingle-trained Worksop switcher Simeon Cover. Walsall's Matty ‘Too Hot' Hough, 5-2 (0), trained by Errol Johnson, goes over six against former foe John Ruddock, 0-1, a muscled southpaw from Coventry.

Go back Comment on this article | Send to a friend | Print

Friend name: Friend email: Your name: Your email:   Privacy Statement

There are no comments. Click here to be the first who comment on this article.