Talarek humbles Hermann
Submitted by Brooke Streatfield
On the first part of a two-day boxing binge at the Camden Centre on Friday, German middleweight prospect Arthur Hermann was looking to follow up his homeland’s recent World Cup success by securing his 12th straight win against Robert Talarek (11st 7lbs), but the tough, hard-hitting Pole had other ideas and came for a fight, handing Hermann his first loss.
Hermann is developing a reputation as a fearsome puncher, and started the fight well by landing heavy shots and clean jabs. Talarek has never been stopped, and absorbed these to head and body in the first and second sessions, which both went to Hermann.
But in the third round, Talarek was getting through with good work to the body and close range uppercuts which made Hermann look increasingly uncomfortable. His lack of head movement gave Talarek a much easier target than should have been. Hermann looked gassed and repeatedly fell short with his left hand. He didn’t throw much, and when he did, his shots lacked conviction – unusual for the German prospect who is used to controlling fights with his heavy hands. In the later rounds, Hermann started to land more, but lack of movement again allowed Talarek to counter and stay in control.
Going into the seventh round, and with Talarek’s left eye swollen and closing, Hermann was a little more aggressive as he knew he was down on the cards, but couldn’t do enough about it, put down perhaps to a lack of fitness, or even the sweltering heat, but after an impressive performance from Talarek, Robert Williams scored the bout 78-74 in his favour.
Islington light middleweight prospect Aaron Morgan (11st 2lbs) impressed in his first six rounder against Pole Grzegorz Sikorski (11st 1lb 4oz), stopping him at the end of the fifth round and maintaining his 100 per cent KO ratio. Morgan, who makes himself a difficult target to counter with good positioning, started with concentrated caution. Accurate jabs were followed by tidy work to the body, and he switched to work Sikorski’s loaf without wasting too many shots. Sikorski was at his most industrious during the third round, but Morgan’s fast, close-range combinations punished the Pole on the occasions he ventured forwards. Morgan looked to have him in trouble on the ropes towards the end of the third, but stood off him rather than trying force the stoppage. This was strange – perhaps Morgan wanted the rounds. Sikorski was coping, but in truth Morgan did as he pleased in the fourth, delivering an excellent uppercut and following up with close range hooks which softened Sikorski for what was to follow in the fifth. Just as some of Morgan’s work was beginning to look a little laboured, he flicked a switch, and delivered a three punch combination that busted up Sikorski’s nose. Robert Williams halted the barrage that followed at 2.56. Morgan goes four unbeaten.
After a five year absence, Harlow light heavy Richard Horton (12st 7lbs) returned to the ring to face courageous Navenby journeyman Ryan Clark (12st 12). Clark, who enjoyed a brief spell of success in 2012 with three straight wins, started brightly, but was susceptible to counters as the ring rust seemed to fall away from Horton, who took the remaining rounds, mainly from the back foot. Horton sat back and was patient with his shots, picking them well and enjoying success with a double jab. Referee Jeff Hinds scored all four rounds (40-36) to the Harlow man for a successful ring return after more than five years out.
Unbeaten Brighton light middleweight Lloyd Ellett (11st 1lb) outpointed Norwich fighter Duane Green in a fast-paced six rounder. Green hasn’t been stopped in any of his previous bouts despite losing 9 out of 12, but in the first round Ellett looked as if he’d change that, landing with great right hands and lefts to the body. Green was getting hit too cleanly; he made a few returns with no accuracy and did well to make it through the first round. In the second session, Green again looked wobbly behind Ellett’s heavy shots and none of his own troubled the Brighton boxer. To his credit, Green grew into the fight more in the third and fourth sessions and started landing with some accurate shots. Ellett looked frustrated in the fifth round when he was warned by referee Jeff Hinds for low shots, but stepped it up again in the sixth in which Green survived his heavy right hands. Jeff Hinds scored 60-54 for Ellett, who makes it 14 wins from 14 and should look towards challenging for an area title. Cousin of British middleweight champion Billy Joe, Hatfield’s
Billy Saunders (12st 3lbs) was given a close run against Pole Artur Sankowski (12st 2lbs). Saunders started the fight well, landing with hooks which frustrated the Pole, but the fight soon developed into a scrappy affair, with Sankowski coming forward and experiencing some success with his jab. Jeff Hinds scored 39-38 in favour of Saunders, who gets his second professional win.
Making his professional debut, Basildon’s Sam Stokes got off the mark with a win against Czech Josef Obeslo, who looked at least half a stone heavier. The fight was a scrappy one with Stokes throwing a lot of punches on the move. Without much of a defence, Stokes resorted to holding. Clearly not troubled by Stokes’ power, Obeslo came out with a low guard in the second. Stokes had some fans in and was eager to impress, but perhaps should have boxed more off the back foot rather than steaming in too quickly, which often resulted in holds – he was warned for this by Robert Williams in the third. Stokes came out fast in the last round, again eager to impress but was tying up on the way in. Obeslo didn’t land much, so Robert Williams scored 40-36 for Stokes, which perhaps flattered a little, but Obselo was a lot heavier and the debutant did a fairly crafty job of frustrating him.
Bexleyheath’s Jack Dishart (10st 2lbs) recorded a fourth professional win in his fifth contest (one draw) against Nuneaton defensive journeyman Kristian Laight (also 10st 2lbs). Dishart took all four of the rounds with the best of his work to the body. He sat behind his jab, scoring with it through the fight without trying to head-hunt Laight – a mistake made by many who face him. Dishart did well to push Laight back but the sturdy journeyman stuck out the four rounds and wasn’t hurt. The slightly heavier weight seems to suit Dishart, for whom Jeff Hinds tallied 40-36.
Slough welter Tommy Tear (10st 6lbs) notched up his second pro win professional against loveable Bulgarian Danny Donchev (10st 9lbs). Tear controlled the fight from the start using an aggressive jab to keep Donchev at length. He doubled it up in the second round along with a lot of work to the body. A clash of heads at the end of the session produced a cut on Donchev’s forehead but nothing to stop the fight prematurely. Donchev is usually hard to hit and a good mover, but aggressive jabs and frequent combinations in the last round from Tear ensured he got hit more than usual. Donchev touched down in the fourth session after a left hook, but referee Robert Williams ruled no knockdown and tallied all four rounds for Tear – 40-36.
Legendary former two-weight world champion Ricky Hatton MBE was down in London to look after part of his stable, Romford propect Anthony Upton, who notched up a fourth professional win at the same venue the following evening. Between shooting the breeze with his old mucker Mickey Helliet, he obliged many fans by posing for photographs.