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Elite Boxing Championship: Week 7

Roar Rookie
26th October, 2017
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(Photo Credit: Terry Long)
Roar Rookie
26th October, 2017
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Elite Boxing Championship Week 7 – The serious business.

If anyone has ever questioned whether Elite Boxers deserve to be televised on broadcast networks, Episode 7 responded with an action-packed card that only the chronically miserable would fail to acknowledge as great television.

From KO Kings slugging away to the effective impersonation of energiser bunnies in the lighter weights, and an all-out assault delivering a stoppage that Joe Frasier would have been proud of, this episode had it all.

78Kg Hone Huni (Huni United – Edens Landing Queensland) versus Tim Hannan (All Sorts – Alexandria NSW)
It’s funny to think that there are people who make a living creating sound effects that give the impression of wind sapping, bone breaking punches. Surely from now on, they could just hire these two machines of the ring.

Both men entered the ring off of strong wins, and from the beginning, sizzling hooks, uppercuts and body shots were on the menu. Both delivered just as much as the first round came and went in a blur of activity.

The commentators handed round one to Huni, and as he came out for the second round, one can only assume that Hannan heard them say so. He obviously was not impressed. Some of the shots he delivered in this action-packed round were delivered with such intensity that people watching it were dodging the screen just in case. In the ring, Huni wore some, slipped some and danced around before delivering some fantastic replies.

As they entered the third this was too close to call, and one sensed they knew it. This round was a continual flow of energy around the ring, punctuated with the odd pause to line up the next withering shot. That both were throwing just as many at the end as at the start is a testament to some fantastic conditioning supported by liberal doses of heart, and chins made of stone.

In the end, the decision went to Huni, and in a painful postscript for the winner and the series organisers, it was later revealed he broke his hand during the bout and was unable to continue in the series.

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It is a terrible shame given that he was delivering a performance that should see people of the area around the Huni United gym clamouring for classes, so as to be even somewhat as fit and skilled as this young man. The obscure upside to this is that Hannan will return. Yet no-one will be unhappy about this, for he is a star in the making.

78kg Louis D’Anglebermes (Mont-Dore – New Caledonia) versus Thomas Van Dijk (Stingrays – Cairns Queensland)
D’Anglebermes commented before this fight that he had a point to prove, being very disappointed in his previous showings in the series. He promised a far more active and effective style.

For his part, Van Dijk conceded he had “frozen” somewhat in earlier fights under the bright lights (and very experienced opposition), and promised to let hit trademark southpaw go with far more intent.

As the bell sounded for the first, ‘The Caledonian Kid’ resembled a Pamplona Bull as he charged out raining bombs from all directions. Van Dijk need not have worried about lights as his main concern was how to handle the flying fists of an assault the likes of which hadn’t yet been seen in this division. He rode it well, albeit clearly on the back foot and the tone of the fight was set.

Eventually, Van Dijk found his balance and began firing his left down the pipe with some regularity. If you get a chance to see this replayed, have a game of spotting the crushing left that saw D’Anglebermes’ body charging forward while his face was forced to look behind. It was a textbook example of what is referred to as a sweet shot.

Unfortunately for the fighter from Cairns, a brave rear-guard action is still a rear-guard action. D’Anglebermes refused to be denied as he chased his opponent around the ring with such intent I am sure that Van Dijk will have the odd nightmare about it. Flurries of heavy punches saw Van Dijk submit to a knee on multiple occasions before the referee had seen enough.

D’Anglebermes took a well-deserved stoppage victory and booked himself a spot in the semis, while Van Dijk will return to Cairns now having competed against some of the county’s very best, and will no doubt be much wiser for the experience.

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56kg Luci Hand (The Boxing Shop – Brisbane Queensland) versus Lauren Kidd (Fortitude Valley – Queensland)
This was a rematch of the opening round, with both ladies determined their journey did not end here. Word around the venue before the bout was that this would be an exhibition of female boxing worthy of changing rusted-on opinions. In short, it was.

Both were superbly conditioned, willing to trade and desperate to win. At the end of the first, the viewers were looking for a breather. This was a battle of wills in its purest sense. Evenly matched, similarly skilled and fired up, the pure volume of punches and willingness to wear one to score one made this a bout that both ladies will be showing at their 50th birthday parties, just to prove how bad-ass they were in their prime!

As the first round ended it was hard to tell who was in front, and a little marking that Hand had around her left eye appeared to be deepening in colour. Round two was more of the same, with the volume of punches at times making these two appear like the cartoon character Taz the Devil as they rolled around the ring firing away, countering, and moving.

Through this round Hand gained a slight ascendancy with some stronger and cleaner punches slipping through as Kidd continued her counter-attacking style. It is a credit to both their fitness that they were still going at full pace as the round came to an end.

It remained very close, but something in the manner of Hands’ refusal to slow up – continuing to work to the body in clinches and more often the first to throw – that gave the impression that her desire to turn the tables in this rematch was so great she had edged in front.

Round three was more of the same, only now with the inevitable fatigue after such a cracking pace that some more punches were slipping through the guard. A few nice long punches saw Kidd’s head snap back, while for her part she had now turned the marking around Hand’s eye into a deep purple bruise as a testament to her success with the counter.

A grandstand finish had the crowd on its feet and in the judges’ opinion Hand had done enough to collect the win – redemption for the opening round. Mark in your diary though: if you see these two matched up again it is worth your while to go and watch it live.

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Luke Henry (Gold Coast PCYC – Queensland) versus Luke Martin (Impact Boxing – Cooroy Queensland)
Billed as the battle of the little big men, neither was interested in missing the semi-finals through lack of effort. Both also came into this tournament with a disadvantage – Martin, coming up two weight divisions, had the weird experience of needing to load up food to make the minimum weight, while Henry is one of the youngest and, as a result, less experienced fighters.

Nonetheless, these two deserve their spot to be fighting off for a semi-final berth and they both turned in another full-hearted display. The Mad Dog (Martin) continued to demonstrate that his explanation of himself as someone who wants to get in close and trade is a wonderful case of self-awareness. Coming in behind a snappy jab and a booming overhand right he set out to make Henry uncomfortable and get the crowd at the Davistown RSL cheering long and loud at their big screen.

Henry, originally a product of the Forster region of New South Wales, rode the storm well and responded with some textbook long jabs and one-two combinations. As the bout neared its end it occurred that Henry’s height and weight advantage were assisting him to land long and strong on a regular basis.

No need for a round by round as these two continued as one would imagine, Martin using any second of break as an invitation to attack, while Henry was all slick counters, angles and then setting off on his own forward march. The action ebbed and flowed, with Henry gaining the ascendancy on many occasions through some excellent execution of the basics, only to have Martin wrestle it back through his flourishing combinations.

In the end Henry got the nod, and while it was tight I doubt anyone complained. Martin is now free to return to a more natural weight and terrorise people in his pursuit of his goal of wearing the Green and Gold, while Henry moves on to the semis. His support team at Innovative Fire Services back him because they believe he sets off fireworks in the ring. Based on tonight, that’s a fair call.

Jack Littlefield (Littlefield Boxing – Orange NSW) versus Steve Filitoga (MBA – Browns Plains Queensland)
This was an interesting match-up on paper. Both lost earlier in the series to joint-favourite Marcus Nelson and had plenty to prove as they came to the competition with reputations as rising stars. At the end of this one, both should have walked away with their reputations intact.

A high-quality match of boxers demonstrating their skills, much could be garnered by students of the sport watching these two go at it. Littlefield often resembles a navy destroyer as he fires off his arsenal of heavy-lead left hooks, long straight rights, and vicious body rips. Filitoga, carrying the fight moniker ‘Sweet’, was indeed very much so in this bout. Littlefield’s attacks were regularly seen off by Filitoga’s excellent hook off the jab and capacity to slip across angles mid-punch.

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As the bout continued, the pattern was set: Littlefield attacking and Filitoga countering, before launching his own flurry, with Littlefield firing back in return. It is a shame that Littlefield was so far from his central western base, for his ‘never stop’ style deserves a strong following as it guarantees high levels of entertainment whenever he steps in the ring. More than one observer suggested he may come into his own as a professional where the longer duration will give more chance for his pressure game to wear down his opponents.

As they worked towards the final bell one would be sure the team from Filitogas MBA gym were happy with their charge’s night in the office. A clear victory reflected his high-quality skills and capacity to manage a challenging fighter. After the absolute war he put on with Nelson in the first round, a genuine highlight reel fight, one wouldn’t be surprised to find him gun-shy. This was not the case though, as perhaps the lasting memory of this fight was his poise and comfort in taking on a strong challenger and maintaining his plan regardless of the pressure applied.

So, as we head into the final three weeks, the action continues to intensify.

The line-up for week eight is as follows:
56kg – Luci Hand versus Troy Garton
56 kg – Skye Nicolson versus Bianca Elmir
63kg – Rhys Evans versus Luke Henry
78kg – Tim Hannan V Billy Hatton
63kg – Michael Black versus Braydan Fenwick

Make sure you tune into ESPN1 – Foxtel 508 at 9pm Syd and Melb / 8pm Bris

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