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Elite Boxing Championship: Week 8 - the business end

Roar Rookie
1st November, 2017
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Elite Boxing Championships Week 7 is about to begin (Photo credit: Terry Long)
Roar Rookie
1st November, 2017
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This week’s finals action took the intensity level up another notch and featured some of the best performances of the series so far.

While it meant good-bye to a couple of crowd favourites the overwhelming feeling after this episode was that this is the sort of fast paced, quick turn action that we’d like more boxing shows to demonstrate.

To the bouts.

78kg – Billy Hatton – (Shamrock, Maroochydore Queensland ) versus Tim Hannan (All Sorts Fitness and Wellbeing, Alexandria NSW)
A good old-fashioned rematch. Hatton, a late entry to the series was handed a defeat in the first-round courtesy of the sharp and well prepared Hannan. His team vowed that if they met again they would be able to turn the tables.

In between Hatton has continued to work on his conditioning and tactics, as well as aid home owners on the coast who need snakes removed from their property. True Story – You don’t get a name like Mr Australia for no reason.

As they walked to the ring it was clear Hannan hadn’t wasted the time between fights – he looked in pristine condition and held a clear height and reach advantage. As the bell went they delivered what one has come to expect from these two – action and lots of it.

Hatton setting himself up with jabs before launching a signature overhand right, while Hannon countered and moved looking to set up his powerful left. Both scored and received as momentum swung back and forth in the early stages.

It occurred to another viewer that ‘whoever scores really clean first will win by knockout’ such was the obvious power that both boxers hold. Hannan the delivered a collection of left hooks and straight rights that stunned Hatton.

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Stunned, but not slowed – Hatton came roaring back looking to even the score of a standing eight count. It wasn’t to be however, as Hannan used this bout to make a claim for favouritism for the title.

Using effective footwork, he created angles that enabled him to land some more bombs and after wobbling Hatton on a couple of occasions including a textbook straight right the referee decided that time was up.

Hatton didn’t agree with the call and was obviously disappointed, however the refs job is to protect the fighter first and while there is no doubt the willing Hatton wanted to continue, referee Seru Whippy has been around a long time and is highly respected.

In the post-fight interview Hannan acknowledged the quality of the final four in this division, but declared he was ready for any of them. Based on tonight’s performance, I don’t think anyone would dismiss the call.

(Photo Credit: Terry Long)

56kg – Skye Nicolson (Albert Boxing Club Queensland ) versus Bianca Elmir (Team Business Central Coast NSW)
With an injury to the qualified Jessica Retallack and some illness affecting Jessica Cashman returning, Bianca Elmir was provided the opportunity to be a late entry to the series. This was no case of a warm body though, Elmir is regarded as one of the genuine contenders at this weight and has taken the win from Nicolson in the past.

As the bell went so did the ladies. Elmir, demonstrating a smothering, in your face style relentlessly attacked the highly skilled Albert Boxing Club prodigy. While Nicolson continued her pattern of moving off and countering it was clear that more would be required tonight.

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She responded by shooting off first with both her trademark long southpaw jab, but also with some thundering power lefts. Thus, the tone of the fight was set.

Elmir, fighting under the moniker ‘Bam Bam’ bears more than a passing resemblance to the cartoon character with her short frame packed with power that clearly was being felt by Nicolson.

Her never say die attitude no doubt appeals to her coach, the very well credentialled past Olympian and world rated pro Jamie Pittman, to the extent her sees her as somewhat of an adopted daughter and he told her to keep going.

This drew Nicolson into the sort of trench warfare she has avoided to date in the series, and to her credit she responded, lifting the tempo and intensity to ultimately take a close decision victory.

56kg – Luci Hand (Boxing Shop Queensland) versus Troy Garton (Mayhem Boxing Auckland)
This match-up had the more experienced members of the crowd eager to watch. Both ladies have demonstrated a good skill set, but more to it a willingness to trade that makes this Elite version of the sport so exciting.

So, it was.

Hand came virtually running out at the bell firing away and backing Garton up with some good combinations, having the Kiwi stumbling back on a couple of occasions. Garton, though is no wilting flower. She steadied and fought fire with fire.

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The tone now, set the two exchanged combinations for the rest of the round and it was hard to split.

Ditto Round two

Ditto round three.

By the final bell three things were obvious.

1. Luci Hands left eye was so far on the journey to closed you could say it had arrived at the destination. The question is – did she ask coach Shara Romer to ‘cut her’ in the corner al-a Rocky Balboa?

Either way her courage attracted a sponsor by the way of the team at PPE Safety who are an Aussie group specialising in Personal Protective Equipment that assures WHS compliance for client individuals and companies. Perhaps Hand should have been wearing some of their safety goggles.

2. Whoever is going through to the grand final deserves it. This was a barnstormer. And

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3. If these two happen to both qualify for the Commonwealth Games will the organisers buy the rights to this bout as playing it is such a tremendous promotion of women’s boxing it would no doubt boost crowd numbers.

Eventually it was Hand with her arm raised in victory, which set up a very interesting conversation. Although these episodes are a week apart, in real time she was now due back in the ring within 24 hours and shortly after the bouts completion she was ordered to the hospital for x-rays and scans.

Therefore, Garton had to consider whether she would be fighting in the grand final, should hand be ruled ineligible, or the bronze medal box off. Tune in to find out!

63kg Rhys Evans (Gladstone Queensland ) versus Luke Henry (Gold Coast PCYC – Burleigh Queensland )
There are moments in any sportsman’s career where walking to the contest you know you’re into uncharted territory. For Luke Henry, the Gold Coaster who hails from Foster on the NSW coast this was one of those moments.

Stepping into the ring against a multiple time Australian Champion, big time specialist, with on the way to a hundred bouts on the resume he would have been forgiven for phoning Heavy Duty Plumbing and putting them on standby.

For his part Rhys Evans looked that cool and calm walking in it’s a surprise he wasn’t riding a Harbour City Harley just to prove a point.

Once the bell sounded though, Henry was a man determined to show that he belonged on this stage. Going punch for punch in most exchanges and mixing some excellent evasion skills he let Evans know from the beginning that this would be no walkover. This is not to diminish Evans skills nor dedication to his craft.

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Scoring regularly, and most importantly finishing his flurries with one or two extra punches it became clear that this was a case of old and young bull (Note Evans is only in his early 20s) as Evans began to draw on his experience to edge ahead.

Henrys long jab is a delightful weapon and he used it well. Evans combination punching, especially his head/body/head should be compulsory viewing for any young boxer. Through rounds one and two both displayed plenty of both.

As they came into the third it was slightly in the favour of Evans and Henry seemed to understand that his road had a potential dead-end sign three minutes away. He gave everything he had to extend his time under the bright lights, a place one feels he will spend much time in later in his career, but Evans maintained his lead.

Compared to the short night in the office for grand final Opponent Michael Black, this was a challenging contest for Evans. One feels this would be more help than hinderance though as he finished very strong and sharp.

(Photo credit: Terry Long)

63kg Michael Black (Boxing Shop Brisbane Queensland) versus Braydan Fenwick (Grange High Performance Goulburn NSW)
We have covered before on both the amazing heart of Fenwick who travels an hour plus in each direction to western Sydney to train plus has a community award for his helping at-risk youth, and the fact he uses it well in this series where he is battling against a severe lack of experience.

Similarly, we have covered the fast and heavy hands of Black, the drag race record holding mechanic from Brisbanes’ Redland Bay area. His win in the early rounds against favourite Rhys Evans sent a wave of excitement through this division.

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These two met in the opening round where Fenwick was ultimately outclassed after giving a good showing of himself, and Black put people on notice of his collection of skills. So, multiple fights later they squared off again, this time to determine who would be meeting Rhys Evans in the grand final.

Fenwick started less cautiously than their previous encounter and demonstrated an improved confidence. One imagines he now does not need to wonder if he can mix it with the best, rather that he knows he can. He may not have overcome them to this point in the series but now must be comfortable that it is nothing to fear.

This is not to say he was dominating Black, just that he was much more composed than their previous encounter. Unfortunately for him, Black seemed intent on making a statement. No doubt this fight will figure in his highlight reel in years to come.

After settling in (as in this series that is always a matter of second not rounds), Black found his range. His sharp and well delivered combinations made it a hard night in the office for Fenwick and by the end of the first his nose was allowing the claret to flow.

As they came out for the second it was more of the same and after a couple of Blacks ‘Money Shot’ uppercuts the nose opened the tap to full as the blood began to flow freely. As the white towel fluttered into the ring from the Goulburn mans corner it was not a case of stopping a bad injury as Fenwick was still giving a good account of himself, rather a recognition that there was no win to be had from here and the blood flow would only increase.

So, now we know that in the 63kg Category Gladstone’s hero and series favourite Rhys Evans will have his shot at revenge with the find of the series and Pride of Redlands Bayside, Michael Black.

Their first bout was one of the best you would want to see, and this rematch on the fourteenth is one that you should not miss.

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In the 56kg class two questions now burn. Luci Hand was last seen heading to hospital for scans on her closed and very black eye. Skye Nicolson has just been forced into real battle and responded with a much more aggressive style which delivered her most impressive win of the series. How will this pan out?

Tune in next week for the 56kg Grand final as well as semi-final action from the 70 and 78kg classes. This penultimate episode provides knockdowns, stoppages, controversy and a display of guts and courage that you don’t want to miss.

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