Evans wants to be a body snatcher by Tom Podmore Apr 26th 2008

Stourbridge-based light-welterweight Scott Evans hopes another display of ferocious body punching on Wednesday evening (April 30) will give him a ‘Body Snatcher' reputation. The undefeated Black Country puncher put in the best showing of his fledgling professional career at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall last time out and is aiming to replicate the feat against Plymouth's dangerous and ambitious David ‘Dezzie' O'Connor, 2-1 (1), on First Team's nine-fight ‘Young Guns' card at the same venue on Wednesday night. The three-fight (all wins, one quickly) prospect has made steady progress since a solid debut victory over iron-chinned Birmingham-based, Kurdistan-born Amir Nadi at the atmospheric Civic Hall in October, taking all four rounds over the Nobby Nobbs-handled welterweight, and has yet to concede a solitary round in 14 scheduled sessions. And the 20-year-old ticket-seller followed that up by blooding and cutting-up another Nobby Nobbs and Andy Mayers-trained Brummie, veteran former Midland Area champion and British title challenger Karl Taylor, in two rounds on a wet and windy night at Walsall's Banks' Stadium at the end of November. Then his one-sided six-round shutout win over Nuneaton's slippery, switch-hitting light-welterweight Kristian Laight, who had outpointed once-touted Martin Gordon – a highly-rated amateur for Lions ABC – on his last visit to the Black Country, saw the Hagley fighter introduce a new and potentially devastating weapon to his armoury: body punching. Although Sid Reynolds-trained Laight doesn't have his hand raised very often, five wins and five draws in 55 paid outings, he is known to be durable, awkward and seldom knocked off his feet. Scott, however, pounded the Warwickshire boxer's long body throughout the 12-minute outing and put him on the floor in the fourth with a wicked left to the ribs. The 27-year-old clambered to his feet, ribs red and sore, and then made it to the final bell – never looking like being halted inside – but had lost all six rounds on Shrewsbury referee Nigel Gill's scorecard. Now the popular former Halesowen ABC stylist, who does his sparring at Errol Johnson's thriving and talent-packed Wednesbury Boxing Academy, intends to make further improvements and inroads in his next contest: “I'm ready to put in another good showing,” admitted the Jay Morris-trained prospect. “Even though I put in a career-best showing against Laight in my last fight, I don't want to be complacent on Wednesday and think all I have to do I show up and get the win,” he added. “I went straight back into the gym after the last one and have been working on improving further. “I'm getting better with every fight and aim to prove that against O'Connor, who has a good record and will be making the trip from Devon to win.” Paul (PJ) Rowson, the busy Black Country-based co-promoter who is putting on his third professional show of 2008 and second in the space of a week, added: “It's all set to be a great nine-fight card showcasing some of the best young talent we have in the West Midlands. “Scott is progressing very nicely and we can't ask him to do any more, winning his first three contests in excellent fashion. “He's an exciting, all-action fighter who Errol (Johnson, co-promoter) and I believe has a very bright and assured future ahead of him,” added the enigmatic promoter. Unbeaten local Dean Harrison, 11-0 (3), tops the bill for the first time – boxing in an eight-rounder against dangerous Stoke body shot expert Gary ‘The Body Snatcher' Reid, a former Midland Area and two-time British Masters light-welterweight boss. Both used to box for Wolverhampton ABC, interestingly. Stafford prospect Rob Hunt, 8-0 (1), tackles Coventry hardman Baz Carey and the bill also includes seven-bout (one win) Matt Ceawright, Tamworth, against Worcester's Steve Cooper, undefeated Wolverhampton pair Rob Kenney, 5-0-1 (0), and Lyndsey Scragg, 4-0 (3), Birmingham heavyweight Neil Perkins, 1-0 (0), and two first-timers: Dudley's Jamie Ball and Wolverhampton's Russell Colley. Tickets are available from Paul (PJ) Rowson on 07976-283157, Errol Johnson on 07852-268333 or the Wolverhampton Civic Hall on 0870-3207000.

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