Scottish Amateur And Professional Boxing
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Irvine's Volunteer Room’s played host to an exciting three fight card last night that showcased three of the local area’s brightest boxing talents. On a card promoted by Tommy Gilmour, all three of the home corner lads went home with victories, much to the delight of a packed crowd.
Billy McClung, from just down the road in Kilmarnock, was topping the bill after two years away from the sport and he looked to get back to winning ways against Transylvania's Czaba Andras in a fight made at Cruiserweight.
The action in the early rounds saw McClung (14st 6lbs) as the aggressor, chasing his retreating opponent back to the ropes and tagging him with some sharp straight shots down the middle. It was a tactic which paid dividend as he landed some hurtful punches to both head and body from the outset. McClung was also occasionally switch hitting to combat the southpaw stance of his opponent.
With Andras (14st 51/2lbs) still in defensive mode in round three, McClung began to close the range and land the left hook on the inside. One left hook in particular rocked back the head of Andras as he pulled away from a clinch, and also drew blood from the Romanian's nose - as well as loud cheers from McClung's attending fan club.
By round four McClung had his opponent's style mastered and he kept the ever smiling Andras on the end of his jab, which was now proving to be the catalyst for everything good from the Killie Cruiserweight. As soon as Andras slipped up, McClung popped out the jab and immediately came in behind it with something stiffer.
In rounds five and six Andras started shipping some heavier shots, but testament to his toughness he kept on coming back in for more and made a real fight of it. Each time would come forward, McClung would welcome him in no further than arms length before booming across a swift right hand that had now found residence on the side of Andras head.
At the end of the sixth, referee Al Hutcheon scored 59-55 in favour of the always in control McClung, who was welcomed back to the sport by a hugely appreciative congregation.
A Lightweight six-twos between Stevenson's Jamie McIlroy and Northampton's John Paul Ryan saw the decision go the way of the 19 year old debutant McIlroy who won every round to get Al Hutcheon's decision 60-54 in an exhilarating and hard fought contest.
Looking fantastically conditioned and steely eyed, McIlroy (9st 9lbs) set out his stall right from the start as he engaged Ryan in a furious exchange that saw his opponent get the first taste of the all action style he was about to be subjected to throughout. With solid hooks being pounded into Ryan's head and body, it was hard to envisage McIlroy not stopping his opponent, but Ryan wasn’t just here to make up the numbers.
Being the far stronger fighter, McIlroy really bossed his opponent and hurt him with his heavier hands, but Ryan (9st 13lbs) always found a way to get out of danger for just long enough to regain his composure. McIlroy was looking sharp and strong though as he never relented in stalking his opponent, and whenever he had the chance he would blast off combinations of four and five.
Whilst getting the better of the trading and doing by far the cleaner punching, you just felt that McIlroy was too eager to impress his supporters and possibly exerted too much of the energy that may just have halted his opponent in the later rounds.
The Northampton man was not without his success, indeed he bloodied the nose of McIlroy in the third, but he was always struggling to impose himself after his first round shellacking that really set the tone for the rest of the contest. When Ryan did land inside it only seemed to kick-start McIlroy into action whose hands were like pistons, constantly pumping to drive on this man on a mission.
McIlroy settled down in the fourth and started to use his jab with good effect and showed quick hands in countering his man and moving away when he had his back to the ropes. A straight left hand had Ryan nodding in acknowledgment of having taken a good punch at the rounds end.
The tempo slowed in the final two rounds, and whenever McIlroy reached with the jab he was made to pay by Ryan, but for the majority of the final four minutes, McIlroy bashed his foe around the ring. The Stevenson man was constantly testing the resolve of an opponent who played his part in a hugely entertaining contest as he would not wilt and would not lose hope of turning the tide on the man opposing him.
Also making his professional debut on the bill was Somerset's John Smith, who was involved in a no nonsense (couldn’t resist it) contest with local light-heavyweight Sandy Robb.
Smith (13st 12lbs) started the fight as by far the busier of the two men and he nailed Robb with a right cross and a clubbing left hook that certainly made the Irvine man take note.
Robb was still to get going in the second despite landing a big right hand as Smith missed with a left hook, but he was still not doing enough as Smith maintained his mantle as the aggressor and looked to have the heavier artillery of the two.
Finally in round three Robb (12st 12lbs), settled into a rhythm and began to use his jab as a pathfinder for his snappy right hand which he sent over with ever increasing accuracy throughout the round. Smith continued to fire back with wide swinging hooks, but Robb was content to take these on his gloves and counter down the pipe.
The heat was turned up on Smith in rounds four and five and you sensed that Robb was taking control of the bout as he thumped home some stinging shots which had blood coming from the nose of Smith. Again he would come punching back but he was no longer taking aim at a static and pensive opponent, and Robb subsequently was never troubled by any counters.
Then with Smith backed up to the ropes and Robb hinting him down in the fifth, the fight was suddenly waved off by referee Hutcheon with Smith complaining of a hand injury. The official time of the retirement was 1:06 and ringside physician Chris Greenhaigh would later confirm a broken metacarpal in Smith's right hand as the cause of the boxer's withdrawal.
The action and the crowd made for a fantastic night on Scotland’s East coast which also doubled as a charity night for the Irvine Rotary Club, and many thanks must go to all involved in the organisation of what was a great show.
NB: It was good to see John Smith looking in good spirits as he emerged to watch the rest of the card.
Report by Gavin McLeod at ringside.