Mansouri the new English champ

As it turned out, it was decent viewing for a good-sized crowd at Sheffield’s Ponds Forge Arena tonight and Rotherham man Mansouri is the new champion after a unanimous points win which appeared to be closer than the cards might reflect.

Mansouri charged out of the blocks but Nottingham’s Booth was unfazed, using his jab as a deterrent and moving nicely. Booth did open up but Mansouri was very impressive in evading the shots. Just before the end of the first, Booth had success with a right hand which made Mansouri wince. The Rotherham man returned to his corner in discomfort and was obviously concerned about his left eye, which looked discoloured.

The contest warmed up further in the second. Booth obviously felt in control whereas Mansouri was keen to change his mind. Booth did less than Mansouri but his work was more effective; the South Yorkshireman charged at Booth with mixed results. Mansouri rushed at Booth early in the third but found himself tied up. Much of the work was done at close quarters in this session and it was difficult to judge who had the upper hand.

The fourth was no easier to score. Booth offered some crisp work but spent time admiring his successes whilst the less-refined Mansouri chugged along. ‘Nav’ did enough to take the fifth. He landed some scoring punches early in the session, especially to the body, then got on his bike. Booth was much less comfortable having to put pressure on rather than react to it.

Mansouri reverted to type early in the sixth which was better for the viewing public. Booth preferred it too, though Mansouri landed the best punch of the fight thus far by way of a right hand to the head. Another close round with both fighters beginning to look a little tired.

Booth opened up with determination to start the seventh and Mansouri boxed off the back foot again. Mansouri was still scoring sporadically to the body. Booth was hunting him down but not taking full advantage of the positions he was getting himself into, throwing ones and twos rather than sustained combinations. When Booth did the latter towards the end of the round, Mansouri opened up and rival fans stood and cheered the exchanges.

Booth cracked in a hard right early in the eighth but rather than pouncing on Mansouri he took his time which might not have been the best strategy given that Mansouri did look a little tired. Regardless, it was definitely Booth’s session and the contest appeared to be moving in his favour.

“Two rounds, Tyan. He’s getting tired,” observed Booth’s trainer Dominic Ingle. One thing beyond question is Mansouri’s heart and when Booth asked him a question in the ninth, the Rotherham man came back with a nice right hand which gave his fans some much-needed encouragement. Booth was invariably on the front foot but he just couldn’t nail Mansouri down.

Booth landed a nice left hook to begin the final round. Booth charged but Mansouri stopped him with a counter right hook. A left hook to the body landed from Booth but Mansouri characteristically gritted his teeth and fired back. Referee Terry O’Connor had to split the tiring pair several times as their admirable efforts became more scrappy. Booth landed a hard overhand right but the final bell came before he could seek any advantage from it.

Judges Dave Parris tallied 96-94 for Mansouri whilst Steve Grey and Mark Lyson both had it 98-94 the same way. An honest bout which made for good viewing and a return is probably not out of the question.

Curtis Woodhouse didn’t get much ring time on his debut as a lightweight. The ‘Driffield Destroyer’ stopped poor Hungarian import Sandor Horvath midway through the opening round.

Horvath, who didn’t look a day over his 19 years, began the contest on the back foot which was probably wise given Woodhouse’s modus operandi. The Magyar looked green, and wilted even quicker than might have been expected, keeling over after just 96 seconds from a short right to the head followed by a left hook to the body.

Apparently Horvath had a 9-6 record with five knockout wins coming into the bout. It’s hard to imagine what the losers must have looked like based on this brief, inadequate showing. The only thing Woodhouse learned was that he can get close to lightweight – he scaled 9st 10 ¾ lbs.

One of Liam Cameron’s most impressive performances was a points win in March 2012 over Harry Matthews. The Yorkshiremen met in a rematch over six rounds and, rather unsurprisingly, the outcome was the same. Matthews, from Pocklington, York, is a tough customer but can be unrefined at times whereas Cameron, when he sets his mind to it, can look a classy boxer working off his lengthy jab.

It wasn’t as good a contest this time around, rather low-key and somewhat predictable. It wasn’t for want of either man trying, especially Matthews who always puts in a shift. His highlight was a cracking right hand in the fifth round which ‘Cannonball’ didn’t see coming. Cameron got through with some eye-catching shots from time to time and was on another level when he got into a rhythm but it was one of those fights which never really caught alight.

Cameron did open up in the sixth and last and Matthews must have felt a corking right uppercut, which was followed by a hard left hook. The ‘Pocklington Rocket’ never stopped chugging along though. Referee Grey tallied 60-56 for Cameron.

Rotherham’s Chad Gaynor entered the ring looking like a throwback to a peak Robin Reid – in great shape sporting a permatan and a dangerous-looking haircut. Neither the tan nor the haircut had to be unleashed on his opponent – a corking overhand right did the trick early in the first round.

The first thing Sylwester Walczak knew about it was when he began hearing referee Lyson’s count. He bravely rose to his feet but his legs betrayed him and matters were rightly waved off at a count of nine after 71 seconds.

6’8”, 18st 3lbs Sheffielder David Howe was another who enjoyed a quick win, stopping Trowbridge novice Luke Martin after 1:59 of the second round. Howe used his height advantage (which looked to be about six inches) in the opener, sticking the jab into Martin’s half-decent guard. Howe got through with a right cross and Martin was having difficulty throwing anything offensive.

Howe warmed to his task in the second and started to put together some reasonable combinations. Martin just couldn’t get going and referee Grey stepped in to halt matters. The Wiltshire man wasn’t exactly taking a shellacking but there was literally nothing coming back.

To the uninitiated it might have looked as if Martin, who was 0-0-1 coming in, was merely on a survival mission. This might not have been the case – it must be terribly difficult for a small novice to get anything meaningful off against a more experienced behemoth. Howe, improving technically slowly but surely, improves his record to 10-1.

Llanelli light-welter Liam Ellis travelled north to try and get his first win in seven fights. He tried hard but came up short against Sheffield’s Joe Rodgers, who moved on to 4-0. There was a quick start from both men but Ellis was missing with his slower shots whilst Rodgers had some success when charging the Welshman and pinning him to the ropes. Ellis took an overhand right flush in the mush. Rodgers threw his head back after the pair’s noggins clashed but fortunately there was no damage done.

Ellis’ cornerman, a descendent of Owen Glendower if ever there was one, urged his charge to get on the front foot in the second and he tried his best. Rodgers' movement was that bit better though and he slipped the advances, getting through at one point with a nice right to the body.

The third was low key and close enough to be shared but Rodgers turned up the heat a little in the fourth and final round to claim a 40-36 victory on the card of referee Lyson. Ellis should keep trying but had to return to South Wales with a new tally of 0-5-2.

Another fighter trying to get off the mark was Manchester trier light-welter Paul Haines, who came in at 0-7 against Newark’s Fergus Taylor, who was having only his second contest after winning his debut in March. Taylor started brightly but Haines, as usual, gritted his teeth and missed with a huge telegraphed right. He did land with one though which provoked Taylor into chasing him to the ropes. Haines was warming to the task though and got through with a left hook which earned him a share on my card.

Taylor worked the body to start the second but didn’t deter Haines who got through with a right uppercut. The Lancastrian then ate a tasty left hook though. It was turning into a nip and tuck contest and the competitive nature of it continued into a tight third.

Haines took exception to something one of his cornerman said in the last round. Whatever it was, it didn’t seem to help and Taylor began to get on top, though he was warned for pushing during his eagerness to secure the win. Haines kept coming though didn’t seem to believe he could secure the victory.

He was right, though the 40-36 tally didn’t reflect his efforts. Haines stormed off as the dispute with his corner continued.

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