Three out of three for Cooper-trained trio

Shaun Cooper woke up on Saturday morning a happy man.

The former undefeated pro from Dudley is now a successful trainer and had three fighters on the Paul Rowson-promoted, BoxNation-televised bill at Wolverhampton Civic Hall on Friday night [March 23] - and all three ran out winners.

Most impressive was unbeaten Brierley Hill light-middleweight Kyle Spencer [11st 2lbs 6oz], who expertly solved the tricky southpaw puzzle set him by capable Rick Boulter.

Boulter's record may only show one win in 23 [three draws] but he's a willing type of scrapper who held come-backing Jeff Thomas, later to secure a place on Prizefighter, to a six-round draw 12 months ago.

Against neat-boxing Spencer, though, the Carl Greaves-handled survivor could do little but offer occasional left-handed swipes as his Black Country opponent piled up the points to earn a deserved 40-36 nod from Terry O'Connor, scoring on the outside for trialist official Gareth Morris.

The ex-Lions ABC stylist, 22, has yet to have dropped a session in his first two paid outings and looks a good prospect. He worked well off the jab, pushed the Lincolnshire man back onto the ropes and tattooed him with an assortment of solid blows in the show-opening four-threes.

Kyle looked calm and controlled throughout and his dominance was underlined by a straight left and follow-up right in the final three minutes that stiffened the legs of Boulter [11st 3lbs 6oz], who finished marked-up under both eyes. 

Another to move to two fights without a blemish was well-supported Stourbridge welterweight Steven Pearce, who also had the added bonus of celebrating his first early night as a professional fighter.

After a slow opening three minutes against normally-sturdy and heavily-tattooed Matt Seawright [10st 12lbs 2oz], 27-year-old Pearce smashed the Tamworth trier to the canvas in the second and finished the job 49 seconds into the third of a scheduled four-threes.

Up until the first knockdown, however, Matt was doing well. He took the opening session on my card after getting home with several left hooks. But Steven [10st 11lbs] justified his hard-hitting reputation when he decked his opponent with a well-timed right uppercut in the second. 

Though up at six, Scotland-born Seawright was forced to fend off a wild two-fisted barrage thereafter. 

It didn't get any better for him. Cut by the right eye, he shipped a heavy right uppercut early on and after another burst of blows rained in, referee Morris stepped in and stopped it, though not before slipping on the canvas and falling face-first into Pearce's corner.

Laughter rang around the packed Civic Hall from everyone but Seawright, who was adamant he was stopped too early. He may have had a point.

And in a show-closing four-threes played out in front of a pocket of die-hards, featherweight Saquib Amir [aka Zak The Ripper] fended off the spirited charge of 151-bout Delroy Spencer, making his first-ever paid appearance in the city he lives, to register a 39-37 victory.

The crowd-pleasing Halesowen 29-year-old [8st 13lbs] now has three wins from four contests and is already on his third trainer, after spells with Roy Skeldon [first two bouts] and Errol Johnson [his last one]. 

The latest link-up, with a trainer who recorded 16 professional victories in 16 before hanging up the gloves, looks to have done him the power of good. The self-styled 'Ripper' looks a more measured operator than on previous viewings - wasting fewer punches and moving his upper body well.

Walsall-born Spencer [8st 10lbs 4oz] may be 44 in just over three months but nipped in and out and found the mark on occasions with the odd slapping hook. He disputed the decision at the bell [though, in truth, i had it the same, 3-1 in rounds] but was generally outworked by an aggressive little fighter whose work was cleaner.

Terry O'Connor scored at ringside for Mr Morris.