In DAZN’s Birmingham expedition, there were upsets, controversies and stand-outs in a fairly low-key night of boxing.
Entering the lion’s den, clear favourite Felix Cash (16-1) wilted under severe ring-rust – as well as a cut to the eye caused by a collision of heads, rendering the once-touted and powerful man to be stalled.
His opponent, the technically sound but soft-punching Tyler Denny (19-2-3) would get the nod on the scorecards, using his activity to out-manoeuvre his dangerous opposition and keep the EBU European Middleweight title firmly in his hands. Such a win could put Denny in contention with many of Britain’s best middleweights; DenzelmBentley (19-3-1), Nathan Heaney (18-0-1) and Shakiel Thompson (12-0) to name but a few.It appears that Denny is making much needed adjustments to his game, primarily in his punch mechanics, that will allow him to remain the best in Europe for a little while longer.
Newark’s Emma Dolan (7-0) also upset the odds against ‘Kaos’ Shannon Ryan (7-1), who seemed to lose her blister in her first title challenge. The collected Commonwealth Boxing Council Super Flyweight became the first holder of the BBBofC British Super Flyweight strap with an impressive performance that saw her knock Ryan down in the second round.
Again, Dolan proved that she deserves to be looking towards the higher end of her division in a performance that proved the naysayers – and the pundits – wrong.
One bout that will stick with many would be the welterweight showdown between Conah Walker (13-3-1) and Lewis Crocker (20-0), which proved to be the most explosive and fiery match-up of the night. From the opening bell, both men went to work and asserted themselves in a bout that refused to give.
Walker, despite a deduction for low-blows towards the end, kept things competitive and proved that all the pre-fight talk wasn’t meaningless. In a night of so many upsets and disappointments, the titanic display of heart by both men will be sure to become the resonant take-away of the night.
Things are also looking up for Matchroom prospects Cameron Vuong (5-0) and Hamza Uddin (2-0), who put away their opponents with relative ease; although Vuong was pushed in a competitive bout against last minute replacement Jeff Ofori (13-8-2).
In conclusion, whilst not the most exciting event to grace Resorts World Arena this summer,i t proved to be a well-rounded British affair.
