View From the Corner

Jane Couch’s XMAS BASH at The Marriott Hotel, Bristol, on Sunday 3rd December made an excellent approach to the festive season.

Two closely competed boxing matches excited a full house of guests, already in high spirits after a first class Xmas meal.

First in the ring was Spaniorum Farm light-welterweight Chris Long (Calne) facing Bristol based Turk, Rocky Chakir, over 6 x 2 minute rounds. Rocky, taller and slimmer than his famous namesake, weighed in almost a stone heavier than Long but this did not deter Chris from taking the fight. The first two rounds looked as if the lighter man had made a bad decision to give away as much weight, Rocky scoring frequently with long looping right hands that thudded down on Long’s shaven head.

From the beginning of the third round Chris began to read the long punches making the Turk miss repeatedly. Following up the missed punches with counter punches from both hands, Long worked his way back into the fight. Rocky was missing more and taking more, his swinging punches becoming less frequent. The next three rounds saw the better fitness and determination of the ‘Farm’ fighter edge out a close decision over the tiring Turk.

If that had been the only fight on the bill, the crowd would have gone away happy. It wasn’t, local Bristol favourite, Danny Butler, also boxing out of Spaniorum Farm, had his fourth professional battle. A battle that could have been made much easier against the much more experienced Chris Brophy (Wales) if he had stuck to instructions and used his better skills to get a safe points victory. Danny, just 19 years old, may well have let the vociferous reception of his home crowd, and the singing of ‘Danny Boy’ to his entrance, affect his boxing ability. He got drawn into wrestling matches with his much more experienced opponent. While this didn’t bother him, after all he has been a World class junior wrestler, it did detract from his boxing ability. When Butler kept Brophy at long range there was only going to be one winner, Danny scoring regularly with straight lefts followed by a good right hand. When it came to inside mauling the fight could have easily gone the Welshman’s way when Danny lost his concentration, dropped his hands and looked out of the ring. Brophy hit him. Had it been a harder punch Butler’s unbeaten record would have been history. The 4 x 3 minute round fight maintained its pattern with Danny’s skills and straight left keeping him ahead on the referee’s scorecard. More experience for Danny Butler and more excitement for the crowd with another home win.

The boxing over and the guests, buzzing with excitement, were treated to a different entertainment but of equal quality. “The Drifters” legendary singing group burst into song and soon had the crowd joining in and dancing on the floor and in the boxing ring. If anyone went home unhappy they must have been related to “ Bah! Humbug!” Scrooge The evening was a definite triumph for promoter Jane Couch.