Boxing: Handsworth hitter Shak Thompson makes it 15 straight wins
Boxer Shakiel Thompson covers the canvas quickly with his wide-legged stance, aerobic capacity, and ring IQ.
So far, though, some of his rivals have been even faster; such is their desire to dodge climbing in the ring with him.
On Saturday, at Sheffield’s Park Community Arena, a packed crowd watched Shak star in a now-familiar storyline.
The super-athletic Handsworth middleweight rang up his 15th straight victory and 11th knockout, laying waste to one-time English title contender Grant Dennis, from Kent.
Even by the 28-year-old’s standards, and against an opponent of fairly modest standards, this was rapid work.
After exercising his rapier-like jab in the first round, it took him 103 seconds after the restart to drill a shot under Grant’s elbow.
Game over for the 41-year-old tickover-bait.
If that occurrence hadn’t been familiar to the crowd, the views expressed afterwards must have been.
He said that while he hadn’t needed to move out of first gear against Dennis, and was pleased with the KO, it remained frustrating that rivals like Tyler Denny and Brad Paul were not interested in taking him on.
“Let’s get it on. I’ll fight any middleweight in the division. I’m here and I’m ready. Stop acting like I am invisible,” he said.
Show promoter Izzy Asif, with customary hyperbole, repeated his view that Shak was “the most avoided middleweight in the world and one heck of a talent.
“He deserved a big note and he’ll get it one way or another” said Izzy, who has wished Thompson well on his way, under the new promotional wing of Frank Warren’s Queensberry.
Straight after the bout, Tysie Gallagher reinforced her potential to become Sheffield’s GBM Sports’ first world champion, with a hard-earned victory.
Unfortunately for local fight fans, it was at the expense of Rotherham-born, Conisbrough-based Ellie Hellewell, who put in a spirited 10 rounds and clearly felt she was in with a chance of edging the contest.
All the judges disagreed, though: Phil Edwards 98-93, Howard Foster 97-93, and John Latham 97-94.
Ellie had been on the front foot for most of the night and had started well; however, Luton’s Tysie dodged, weaved, and then countered with a flurry of punches, which attracted the judges.
She was focused, hard to hit, and confident against the taller opponent, who had Jason Cunningham and Ryan Rhodes in her corner.
You felt the former Brinsworth Junior and Wickersley Comprehensive pupil had to offer something more compelling and needed a KO as the fight drew to a close.
It wasn’t to be, though.
While Ellie briefly lifted her hand as if to accept the acclaim of a winner, Tysie was on her coach’s shoulders long before the verdict was announced.
Tysie did indeed keep hold of her British, Commonwealth, and WBO International super bantamweight titles.
It was an emotional moment for the 27-year-old, who has dedicated her ring career to her mother-in-law Diane Cleary, who was murdered in January, and said she now hopes for a world title shot next.
“It’s been a tough year, so getting that win is great,” she said.
“I was very disciplined and I’m excited for what’s next.”
Ellie is only 25, though, has had a mere eight pro fights, and trains hard in one of South Yorkshire’s highest-performing gyms – Doncaster’s DB Fitness and Circuit Centre.
She will improve her skillset to match her drive and stamina and be back on the title scene.
Earlier, there had been an eclectic undercard.
Most domestic shows have an international feel to them, and this was certainly no exception with boxers from Romania, Nicaragua, Argentina, Mexico (two), Poland, Holland, and South Africa.
Afghanistan-born Rotherham butcher Taz Nadeem unleashed his fearsome power on his seventh professional victim.
The meaty body shots he hurled – along with some misjudged windmill attempts – served notice to Romania’s Marius Mihai Dumitru that the affair would be a brief one.
Dumitru picked up an ankle injury in the first round, but that was to become the least of his problems.
By round two, he had a cut over his left eye and was offering little in return.
Two rounds later, he had a nine-count after being floored.
And after suffering four left hooks and a horrible right hook, his night was over.
Taz said his ring rival had been tough and game, adding: “I have learned a lot, I can take a lot away from that.”
He admitted being over-eager to knock out his man early, but then went back to his boxing, waiting patiently for the opening.
His coach, Jamie Kennedy, was relieved his man had tasted some action, given that three other opponents had failed to take the challenge. Dumitru had only arrived in the UK on Friday.
“We had to calm Taz down a bit, but he did well against a light heavyweight,” he said.
Doncaster’s Reece Mould had to navigate early challenges before winning every round against Benito Sanchez Garcia.
He beamed a smile in the final seconds of the tussle, completely satisfied that the win was his.
His Donny pal Ed Hardy, another Steel City gym athlete, dominated his opponent, Jose Manuel Perez.
His manager, Sunny Edwards, the former world champion, said: “I am impressed by the way he listens – he wants to go all the way to the end of the rainbow.”
Manor Boxing Academy’s heavy-handed Darnell Sterling celebrated his debut with a third-round win over Lewis Varley.
The main event contest saw Belfast’s Sean McComb re-stake his claim to being a super-lightweight world title contender.
He survived a first-round scare to outbox and outfox defending champion Ben Crocker and take the IBF European super-lightweight championship from the Welshman.
The bill
- Sean McComb, Belfast beat Ben Crocker, Swansea, (IBF European super-lightweight)
- Tysie Gallagher, Luton, bt Ellie Hellewell, Rotherham/Doncaster (British, Commonwealth and WBO International super-bantam championships)
- Shakiel Thompson, Sheffield KOd Grant Dennis, Kent, (middle)
- Taz Nadeem, Rotherham TKOd Marius Mihai Dumitru, Romania, 6x3 (super-middle)
- Edward Hardy, Doncaster, bt Jose Manuel Perez, Nicaragua (super-bantam)
- Darnell Sterling, Sheffield, TKOd Lewis Varley, Birmingham (super-welter)
- Mykyle Ahmed, Sheffield bt Juan Alberto Batista, Argentina (bantam)
- Reece Mould, Doncaster, bt Benito Sanchez Garcia, Mexico (super-feather)
- Amaar Akbar, Dewsbury, bt Eduardo Vera Sanchez, Mexico (super-welter)
- Harris Akbar, Bradford bt Jack Swallow, Glossop (super-welter)
- Harry Powell, Hull, KOd Sebastian Korgol, Poland ( s uper-middle)
- Gradus Kraus, Holland, bt Scott Forrest, South Africa (light-heavy.)