By Curtis McKormick
It was a firestorm of fisticuffs last Friday night at the Robin Park Arena in Wigan, England as bantamweight Ian Napa led the way on a Frank Maloney/Steve Wood co-promotion, winning the vacant British title after out dueling Jason Booth in a vicious display of body punching for twelve grinding rounds.
Napa withstood the tremendous onslaught of punishment put on early by Booth only to force his will on the former multi-weight champion and gut out an amazing win and the British title. The Londoner finally reverses a long unlucky streak while improving to 14-6 (0). Booth drops to 27-5 (10) but has vowed to return after the wrenching loss.
On the undercard, big hearted welterweight Mark Thompson stepped in for British champion Jamie Moore at short notice but failed in his bid to win the vacant WBC International light middleweight crown against South African 154 lb champion Vincent Vuma.
It was a battle of wills from the start as Thompson took the fight to the Vuma early on, looking to erase the experience deficit that exists between the two. By the third, it had become a shattering contest as both men had already had the other hurt.
By the fourth, Thompson had been forced to take an eight count but returned the next round to force Vuma to take a knee following a tremendous body shot from the Manchester man.
The sixth saw all defenses thrown to the wind in a give and take scrap, with Thompson likely saved by the bell after being given a clanging on the ropes by the South African.
The seventh saw Thompson stage a miraculous comeback and hurt Vuma by the end of the round but after a last ditch effort by the Mancunian at the beginning of the eighth, the larger Vuma turned up the pressure and unleashed a two handed shelling to the head and body that caused Thompson to take a knee.
Vuma's follow up assault caused the referee to step in and end the bout.
Vuma wins the vacant WBC International light middleweight title and improves to 23-2 (14) while Thompson suffers his first loss as a pro and drops to 11-1 (6).
Also on the bill, light welter Craig Watson, 9-1 (2), of Manchester defeated Michael Lomax, 10-1-1 (2), of Chingford, 79-73, in a riveting eight round clash between two southpaw prospects.
At six foot, Lomax held a two inch height advantage over Watson and the London area man kept the northerner at the end of the in the early rounds but Watson soon navigated the distance between the two and began to land overhand bombs.
Lomax scored well at times with the jab but couldn't keep the shorter Mancunian off. Watson hammered Lomax repeatedly but was unable to drop his lanky foe.
Commonwealth Light Welter Champion Ali Nuumbembe, 18-2-1 (6), of Glossop defeated Ukrainian journeyman Vladimir Borovski, 19-25-1 (9), on points in a six round non-title affair.
Commonwealth Light Welter Champion Ali Nuumbembe, 18-2-1 (6), of Glossop defeated Ukrainian journeyman Vladimir Borovski, 19-25-1 (9), on points in a six round non-title affair.
The two men had met before, with Nuumbembe winning all six rounds last September and the native Namibian was clearly in the driver's seat once again in this tune-up bout, hitting the eastern European whenever he wanted with very little coming back from Borovski.
Heavyweight Scott Mitchell, 1-1 (0), of Bolton narrowly defeated Moorcombe's David Ingleby, 3-17 (1), on points, 39-38, in a competitive four rounder.
Heavyweight Scott Mitchell, 1-1 (0), of Bolton narrowly defeated Moorcombe's David Ingleby, 3-17 (1), on points, 39-38, in a competitive four rounder.
The two heavyweights wrestled almost as much as the fought in this test of strength, each landing short inside shots before grabbing hold in repeated clinches.
Former British Super Middle Champion Tony Dodson, 21-4-1 (12), of Liverpool, overcame a bad cut above the eye to take a tough four round decision over Battersea based Nick Okoth, 4-14-4 (1), by a score of 39-37 at light heavyweight.
Former British Super Middle Champion Tony Dodson, 21-4-1 (12), of Liverpool, overcame a bad cut above the eye to take a tough four round decision over Battersea based Nick Okoth, 4-14-4 (1), by a score of 39-37 at light heavyweight.
This was the fifth time that Okoth has been in a ring this year and the active Londoner gave Dodson, returning after getting KO's by British/Commonwealth Champion Carl Froch last November, a real run for his money.
Light middle Alex Matvienko, 7-0-2 (2), of Manchester lost a point in the final round for a low blow and drew with Sunderland's Martin Marshall, 8-9-3 (0), over four rounds 38-38.
Light middle Alex Matvienko, 7-0-2 (2), of Manchester lost a point in the final round for a low blow and drew with Sunderland's Martin Marshall, 8-9-3 (0), over four rounds 38-38.
Matvienko had come forward for most of the bout and at times scored well with the aggressive attitude and left hook but Marshall jabbed well and landed some stinging counters to keep the action close.
Birkenhead welter Brett Flournoy, 5-0 (2), stopped fellow southpaw Yassine El-Maachi, 3-2 (1), of The Netherlands in the last round of a fourth round contest.
Birkenhead welter Brett Flournoy, 5-0 (2), stopped fellow southpaw Yassine El-Maachi, 3-2 (1), of The Netherlands in the last round of a fourth round contest.
The two had gone head to head in a sloppy fight and neither man pulled clear until Flournoy hammered the Dutchman with a two handed attack that forced a close to the action.
Burnley super bantam Stuart McFadyen, 6-0 (1), dropped Bradford's Tasif Khan, 2-1-1 (1), in the first and then had to climb off the canvas himself in the third before finishing well in the final frame enroute to posting a very close 38-37 win after four rounds.
Burnley super bantam Stuart McFadyen, 6-0 (1), dropped Bradford's Tasif Khan, 2-1-1 (1), in the first and then had to climb off the canvas himself in the third before finishing well in the final frame enroute to posting a very close 38-37 win after four rounds.
