Chris Keane displayed the type of quick-fisted skills that many believe will take him to a British title.
The Walsall cruiserweight returned to action for the first time in 15 months on a Paul Rowson and Frank Warren-promoted bill at Wolverhampton Civic Hall on Friday night [March 23] and shredded the first layer of rust against Lithuanian iron man Remigijus Ziausys.
Ziausys has only been halted once [in his sixth outing] in a 72-contest career that has largely been compiled at heavyweight and includes extending Dereck Chisora six rounds last year.
The iron-jawed Eastern European conceded a 60-54 decision that night and the same scoreline was tallied by Rob Chalmers after his battle with Keane [13st 13 1/2lbs], who won the ABAs and Four Nations in just 16 amateur bouts.
As to be expected after 15 months on the sidelines, Keane didn't always shine. But at times he boxed beautifully off his rapid jab - following up with fast-handed one-twos to head and body. Ziausys' face was reddened inside the opening round and it didn't get much better for him in the sessions that followed.
He hit back often but was out-boxed by the Paul Hudson-trained, Frank Warren-promoted cruiser, who made the swollen-faced 27-year-old's legs do a little dance with a stinging uppercut in the fourth. More bursts of two-fisted blows thumped home in the final six minutes and though well beaten, Remigijus [13st 7lbs] was still in his West Midlands foe's face at the final bell.
Keane, now unbeaten in five [one early], can kick on from this and is hoping for regular action after just a handful of bouts in three years. He's also looking to be the next boxer from the Black Country, after Stourbridge's Rob Norton, to wear the British cruiserweight title. I wouldn't bet against it.
Another British title-chasing fighter from Walsall, hard-hitting two-time English lightweight boss Martin Gethin, registered an early night against heavier Hungarian Csaba Torma [10st 9lbs], now 6-7 (5).
Gethin, 28 and who returned from a long absence in November, looked disinterested in his last fight, an International Masters welterweight title-winning ten-rounder against Ivan Godor in Peterborough two weeks ago, but was a different animal in Wolverhampton.
The former British Masters and Midlands Area champion picked well-timed overhand rights in the first and then plowed forward with both hands to force Mr Chalmers to halt the slaughter at 1-59 of the second. Torma - bloody-nosed, outclassed and offering nothing back - didn't protest the stoppage.
Now with a 21-3-1 (8) professional tab, Errol Johnson-trained Gethin [10st 4 1/4bs] is back in the hunt for a shot at Anthony Crolla's Lonsdale Belt at 9st 9lbs. One or two more impressive-looking wins in the coming months and the Black Countryman will be banging very loudly on the Mancunian's door.
It was set for six.
Talking of impressive stoppages, Dudley's Dean Anderson [9st 7 1/2lbs] boxed for the first time since Sid Razak snapped his unbeaten run in December 2010 and aimed a brutal attack at Robin Deakin's body until Gareth Morris halted the contest in the second.
A former NABC amateur champion for Priory Park ABC, Anderson is a good boxer with a decent dig in his gloves. But he has a reputation of losing his cool - and it was this hot-headedness that cost him his fight with sturdy Razak, who turned the tables to stop his opponent in just two minutes and 42 seconds.
But Dean battered durable Deakin [9st 10lbs] in the five minutes the bout lasted.
His ribs red and sore inside the opening 90 seconds, 47-bout Robin spent nearly all of his time on the ropes trying to fend off the Black Country puncher's attack. He saw out the first stanza but after two minutes of the second - and after a further two-fisted rib-crunching assault from Anderson - Mr Morris had seen enough.
Errol Johnson-handled Anderson improves to 3-1 (2) and is a welcome re-addition to the Midlands lightweight scene.
No comments:
Post a Comment