Randell outpoints former world title challenger; weekend round-up

Tony Randell has regularly hinted that his patchy record isn't reflective of his talent.

And on Saturday night (July 23), on a Ricky Hatton-promoted bill in Bury, the Birmingham boxer (pictured) etched a career-best win onto his 38-bout (12 wins, two draws) ledger by out-pointing former world and European title challenger Luca Messi over six.

Former pro Michael Alexander handed willing Randell a 59-57 (or presumably 3-1-2 in rounds) nod that was slightly more generous to the durable Italian than my tally of 59-56.

On paper, which often misleads plenty of so-called boxing experts, the former Midland Area middleweight champion was no match for Messi, who entered with a stellar-looking 36-8-1 (12) pro record that saw him engage iron-fisted Alejando Garcia in a torrid 12-round struggle for the WBA world light-middleweight strap in 2005. 

A two-weight champion of his country, he also took two-time world champion Michele Piccirillo eleven for the European title, but was knocked out in six by Sheffield switcher Ryan Rhodes, also for the Continental strap, last year in a fight that secured the Yorkshireman his crack at the WBC world light-middleweight crown.

And though the Errol Johnson-handled 29-year-old holds decent wins over once-touted Kevin Concepcion and British title contender Max Maxwell, both for the Midland 160lb belt, the general consensus was he'd give the bronzed Mediterranean boxer a solid distance battle before going down on points. 

However, the battling Brummie forgot to read his lines in the 18-minute script and immediately made his four-and-a-half-inch height difference show. The 36-year-old Italian doggedly plowed forward but was a step behind, caught often by long-armed one-twos from a fired-up Midlander looking to make a statement, and finished the six-rounder marked-up and defeated.

A title chance could now be in the offing for aspiring fashionista Randell, who has ambitions far loftier than the Area title.

Elsewhere on the Lancashire show, Burton welter Tom Shaw improved to three wins without blemish with a four-round thrashing of Jason Carr, who picked himself off the flour in the last to concede a 40-35 decision. But there were defeats for Stourbridge's Kevin McCauley, decked twice and swatted in just 70 seconds by hard-hitting East European Sergey Rabchenko, Nuneaton's Kristian Laight, shut-out over four by fleet-footed local Rhys Roberts, and Birmingham's sturdy Sid Razak, who lost 60-54 to undefeated Kieran Farrell.

And 30 miles away in Huddersfield, at the town centre-based Sports Centre on the same evening, Second City dangerman Andrew Patterson gave now-eight-contest unbeaten Patrick Liam Walsh a torrid six-round argument he won't forget in a hurry. Despite going down 60-54 to a Halifax puncher who likes a fight, 'Patt' gave as good as he got and admitted afterwards that the war re-ignited the fires that the 31-year-old had at the start of a paid career that has brought him four wins and three draws in 26.

The other Midlander on the West Yorkshire show, Lincolnshire's ex-Area champion Ben Lawler, was retired on his stool after four rounds with popular local stylist Tyrone Nurse, who improved his record to 18 without loss (two inside). Shorter Carl Greaves-trained Lawler's desperation punches were no match for a well-schooled boxer who thoroughly dominated the action.