Miles continues stoppage run; weekend round-up

Undefeated East Midlander Dale Miles continues to win - and continues to make durable men fall.

The 26-year-old Alfreton portsider was looking to impress former world champion Ricky Hatton at Wigan's Robin Park Arena on Saturday night (June 18) and did just that with a one-sided four-round retirement dismissal over iron-jawed Ibrar Riyaz.

Derbyshire-based but Nottingham-born Miles, who is on a stoppage run of six, won for the eleventh time in as many paid outings (eight via the quick route) and had his Reading-based opponent on the floor in the opening three minutes.

Though he clambered to his feet, 28-bout Riyaz - whose only inside-the-distance reversal arrived at the fists of current Commonwealth super-featherweight boss Liam Walsh last year - was punished for another nine minutes until his corner pulled him out, wisely, at the end of the fourth of a set six.

Shinfield-handled Miles looks set to give Britain's best 10'7 fighters a good argument in the future.

Another Midlander, ambitious Black Country stylist Chris Male, impressed on the Hatton Promotions-promoted, Sky Sports-televised bill in the North West - forcing recent International Masters title challenger Dougie Curran to surrender on his stool after three rounds.

Gallant Geordie Curran, now 5-7-1, recently extended touted Tipton puncher Lee Glover the full ten but never looked like repeating a distance battle with ex-Masters boss Male, now 11-0 (2) and on a run of two successive quick wins. Dougie tried but was brutalised for the three rounds it lasted and Chris, a postman by day but puncher by night, competently delivered. He is now likely to be tied to a promotional contract with the Hattons.

The Cradley featherweight is also chasing a fight with another unbeaten prospect, ex-Olympian Joe Murray, who also won on the card, for the vacant English 9st strap. It would be a fascinating battle.

Derby's Steve Jevons, now 6-0, came out the victor in an all-Midlands four-rounder with Birmingham's tough and willing Jason Nesbitt, in paid outing 143. Jevons showed he was the better-rounded fighter, picking off Nesbitt with his jab and running out a routine 39-37 winner.

In London on the same night, on a good-value Spencer Fearon-promoted show at the York Hall, Derby's Dave 'Rocky' Ryan added the British Masters light-welterweight crown to his Midland Area belt with a one-round disqualification victory over Bristol puncher Darren Hamilton, now 8-2 (2). Honours appeared to be even in the early going until confident Hamilton, in the opinion of referee Ken Curtis at least, laid the nut on the hard-punching East Midlander, 12-4 (3), leaving the fight over but not resolved after only 112 seconds.

But there was a points defeat for hard Newark scrapper A.A Lowe, who conceded an eight-round nod against skillful Londonder Steve O'Meara. Lowe lost for the sixth time in 14 (eight wins, one early) but showed trademark resilience to stick to the task in hand and see out the 24-minute fight with a fighter who was one step ahead.