Heartbreak for Stevie Williams in Italy
Submitted by Martin Supple
Two-time British light welterweight title challenger Stevie Williams fell short in his foreign assignment against Luca Giacon in Lombardia, Italy on Saturday night. Williams was pulled out by his corner before a punch was thrown in round eight. Both Williams and Giacon had weighed in at the light welterweight limit of 10 stone exactly.
Williams (10st exactly), known as The Wallasey Express, was derailed by a clinical display of fast, accurate punching and quality movement from the slick Giacon (also 10st). Fighting for one of those vacant WBA straps which seemingly now every 12 rounder must be accompanied by, Williams struggled to get any foothold in the contest as Giacon started by banging in overhand rights to the top of Williams' head. A poor start suddenly became a crisis in round two as Giacon threw a clubbing right hand which put Williams down on his knees.
A right uppercut in follow up shook Williams as he ended the round with a nick over his left eye to boot. More fast accurate shots from Giacon had opened the cut severely by round four – Williams now bleeding heavily from the wound and covering up from the fast hands of Giacon.
You sensed if Williams was going to get back into the fight, he needed to land the left hook, but it was becoming more desperate by the round, as Stevie resorted to leaping in with the punch in an attempt to get to the elusive Italian. Giacon found room for an impressive burst at the end of the fifth, firing in shots at will, with Williams backed to the ropes. It was hard to give much to Williams on the scorecards, such was the accuracy and workrate of Giacon.
Luca's variety was impressive, the way he mixed it to body and head, landing with hooks and uppercuts from both hands. Stevie's lack of head movement was being exploited by Giacon, who again landed with a hurtful looking left uppercut at the start of the seventh although Williams did find the Italian's chin with a left hand.
All the quality punches were coming in threes and fours from the home fighter however, and it was clear at the end of the seventh that it wasn't going to be Williams' night.
With this defeat, Stevie falls to 15-3, whilst Giacon (now 25-1) on this display could certainly emerge as a contender at full European level, having previously lost only to Derry Mathews conqueror Emiliano Marsili at lightweight.