By Terence Dooley
Drillfield’s Curtis Woodhouse had told BoxingScene that he would use Friday night’s Frank Maloney-promoted fight against fierce rival Stefy Bull as a chance to show the British public that not all their sportsmen are as meek and mild as the national football team. Woodhouse, a former Premiership footballer, traded kicking for punching back in 2006 and has since built up a solid record whilst learning on the job.
On Friday, though, his boxing future, not to mention a showcase fight against Frankie Gavin, was on the line, with Bull the most experienced foe Woodhouse has faced thus far in his pro career. Stefy, 33, a southpaw, has mixed with the likes of Amir Khan, Scott Lawton and Dean Pithie, whilst not always a winner in the big ones, the man from Doncaster acquits himself well and many thought he would have too much big-fight experience for Woodhouse, 30.
An expectant local crowd created a nice buzz at the Doncaster Dome, booing lustily as Woodhouse (138lb) sauntered into the ring to the Conroy Smith song ‘Dangerous’. Woodhouse, indeed, looked dangerous early, landing a stiff jab in the fight’s messy early going. Bull (137lb) responded with a left hook to the body and made things equally as messy for Woodhouse.
Slashing lefts to the body and head from Bull prompted Woodhouse into the tactic of stepping across Bull in order to switch his attacks, a move that resulted in a solid left hook to the body of ‘Supersonic’. Emotions spilled over early in the contest, referee Howard Foster warning both men for minor infringements, with Woodhouse guilty of rabbit punching and Bull of holding, a tactic that he employed frequently beyond the third round.
There was further success for Stefy, though, as his right hooks caused a slight swelling by Woodhouse’s left eye, the former footballer had looked bone-dry in the early going but as the sweat flowed so, too, did his attacks, with well-placed body shots increasing in number and intensity as the rounds wore-on.
Stefy, however, is an experienced campaigner, his tactic of holding, moving and spoiling served to frustrate Woodhouse, who waited too long for his openings, this, in turn, allowed Stefy to pop off with shots and mess his foe about. The hometown fighter was imprinting his mark on the fight and throwing Curtis’ gameplan off-kilter, a sweet left to the head of Curtis in round five giving further warning that Bull still had a trick or two up his sleeve.
Foster warned Bull for pulling Woodhouse on in round six; both men were guilty of the same crime but Howard’s warning served notice that they had to clean things up. Bull composed himself sufficiently enough to land an unorthodox left uppercut to the head of Woodhouse later in the round, with Curtis picking up a warning for rabbit punching.
It was agricultural stuff; the crowd, who were hyped-up prior to the fight, responded to this mutual show of desire and will with pro-Bull chants – prompting a ‘Come on Curtis’ cacophony from the small enclave of Woodhouse supporters.
Foster took the bout by the horns at the onset of the seventh stanza, having another word with both men; it was Curtis who responded best to this warning, landing a right hand to the head of Bull before sinking in a left hook to the body – there was urgency here, class also.
Bull’s harrying pace dropped off considerably allowing Woodhouse, who has been well-drilled by trainer Dave Coldwell, to land enough quality blows to carry rounds seven and eight – a left hook to the body of Bull in round eight the pick of the action. It was a muggy night and the fight itself was turning into a street mugging, with Woodhouse’s belligerently intelligent approach reaping rewards.
Bull’s movement was largely absent by round nine. Curtis weathered an early storm; he looked the stronger after both men landed flashing right hands, Stefy retreating under the force of Curtis’ shot. Bull looked a done deal. Referee Howard Foster had hovered closer to the action in order to keep an eye on Stefy and jumped in at 2:15 of the round after Woodhouse’s left and right hooks had sent a ripple through his opponent’s weakened legs. Fight over; local grudge match settled; statement made by Woodhouse, who went over to the watching Frankie Gavin in order to exchange some pleasantries.
“You’re shit!” declared Gavin before giving his succinct verdict on the fight, “That was crap!” Woodhouse differed, pledging to see Gavin at the LG Arena, Birmingham in ten weeks time. As for Bull, he became lost amongst the mix, an exhausted fighter who would later tell the assembled press that, “I just can’t keep my work-rate and quality going beyond six rounds.”
Bull retired in the aftermath of this loss with a respectable 29-7-1 (7) record; Woodhouse is now 14-1 (9 early) and is eagerly looking forward to his showdown with Birmingham’s Gavin, the fact that ‘Funtime’, 7-0 (6), supports Birmingham City FC, a club Curtis once played for, is yet another subplot to a fascinating fight.
For now, though, Curtis was keen to give full credit to Stefy Bull. “It felt like a good fight in there!” enthused Woodhouse when speaking exclusively to Boxingscene after the fight. “Listen, me and Stefy had a bit of banter before the fight but it was a tough fight. He hung in there and showed he has big balls, I respect him for that, he gave his Doncaster fans a good show and he’s a good kid.”
He added: “I thought I hurt him a couple of times with some big left hooks. I felt it was a matter of time before I got him out of there. We both got a few warnings and were threatened with a point off but Howard Foster is the best in the business so if he says it was a stoppage or a foul then I respect that.”
The stoppage was well timed, Stefy had started to lose his mojo in the last minute of the preceding rounds – a sure sign that the tank is running on empty – and had lost cohesion early in the concluding canto, with his legs showing the impact of every shot. Woodhouse praised Foster when discussing the stoppage, ruefully admitting that the man in the middle had a busy night of it.
“Like I say, we are in there having a fight, I hit him behind the head and in the balls a few time, whatever goes in there goes,” declared Woodhouse. “Stefy didn’t moan, I didn’t moan, we just got on with it. Stefy is 5’ 10’’ and a southpaw, long and rangy – he knows how to use that stance so he did cause me a few problems. Stefy is a tough kid, I’d said he couldn’t knock the skin off a rice pudding and I take that back, he hit me with some powerful right hands so I respect him for that.”
“It was just street intimidation”, laughed Woodhouse when revealing the thinking behind his hectic early approach. “I was just letting him know I was coming! There was plenty of bullshit before the fight as well but we gave each other a few smacks in the mouth and things are Ok now. I was thinking in there using my head a bit more. I was still a bit Captain Caveman, and always will be, but I’m boxing more and will come on again in ten weeks time.”
So, one grudge match is behind Curtis, another lies ahead of him, World Amateur Champion Frankie Gavin’s post-fight analysis serving to light a fresh fire under the light-welterweight contender.
“I saw this little rat jump up from ringside with his goofy teeth and big ears and then realised it was Frankie Gavin”, smiled Woodhouse when asked about his next move, “so he can have it in ten weeks time! No doubt about it, he’s got balls outside the ring so let’s see what’s he got inside it. I don’t care about titles – I just want to smack him in the mouth!
“Me and Stefy put on a good fight and we didn’t need Frankie jumping up to run his mouth like some adolescent little teenager. Frankie had a great amateur career but has done nothing in the pro game; let’s see how he goes without the head-guard and gloves when it really gets going.
“Tell everyone – I’m going to give Frankie Gavin my best shot. Let’s see how he likes it when someone comes in there to hit him back. You can trace my family tree back one hundred years and we’re all fighters. I like to punch people in the face and get a few back and will be like this until the day I die.”
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