By Terence Dooley
Birmingham’s Frankie Gavin, 23, handed Graham Fearn his first stoppage last Saturday night in Manchester, and did enough good work to convince his opponent that the second-round reverse had been dished out by a future world champion.
Fearn, 33, told thepress.co.uk that Gavin was on another level to him. “I was totally out-classed,” he lamented. “I was in there with a future world class operator, no doubt about it. It was a different class altogether. He was so strong and sharp and fast. I didn’t sleep a wink on Friday night because the nerves got to me, but I gave it a go and I can live to fight another day.”
Fearn was floored twice, and almost cut in two by body shots, he did not protest when referee Steve Gray stepped in and stopped the contest at 2:25 of the second round.
“Frankie dropped me with a body shot which took all the wind out of me,” he confirmed. “I got up and thought I would try to weather the storm, but then he got me again. It was a good decision to stop it before the inevitable because I was probably going to get KO’d.
“In the first round, I was trying to get my jab off and get into the guy, but he had a reply for everything. He just knew too much.”
Olympian Billy Joe Saunders, 19, also grabbed a second-round win, referee Phil Edwards jumping in to save opponent Matt Scriven from further punishment at 1:21 of the round. It had been one-way traffic, with Saunders’ buzz saw southpaw attacks befuddling his experienced foe.
Saunders is from gypsy stock, he hopes to bring a world title back to his Hatfield-based encampment; Billy is trained by the evergreen Jimmy Tibbs, and looks a solid prospect.
However, both Gavin and Saunders were upstaged by Olympic gold medallist James DeGale, 23, who brushed aside Ciaran Healy in a single round. A series of shots put Healy over towards the end of the round, prompting trainer Eamon Magee to throw the towel in at the end of the first stanza.
Londoner DeGale, also known as ‘Chunky’, is often likened to Marmite, you either love him or hate him, you can do both; you have to love the way he moves in and finds the space for his shots; though most connoisseurs will hate the way he occasionally slaps and cuffs with his punches. Still, he is making the transition well.
All three men rise to 3-0; both Gavin and Saunders have ended all of their pro fights early. James laboured to a points win on his pro debut, he has since knuckled down to the challenges of the pro game, and looks a sure bet for titles further down the line. Promoter Frank Warren told the Sky crew that DeGale will “Fight for a title next year.” With the British or Commonwealth titles the likely targets.
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