Boxing Clever
It was one hell of a night wasn’t it?
The show in Chester on Saturday was really the night big time boxing hit Chester. The turnout was fantastic, the atmosphere electric and the fights incredible. It will go down as one of the best shows I have ever been to as a fan, or in a professional capacity. It was a night I was proud to be part of.
Let us start off with Chris Goodwin. Chris, as we know lost a split decision to Leeds warrior Carl Johanneson.
When this fight was first discussed, it was a fight everybody here knew he could win. And boy, did he come close.
Ever since Chris came back in December 2010 he has grown daily as a fighter. His skill set is turning into that of a domestic champ in the making. Therefore we all thought that even though Johanneson, a man whose record speaks for itself, would be a risk, it was the right time to step Chris up. In our opinion it was the right fight at the right time.
After ten rounds I had the fight a draw. One judge gave it to Goodwin by a score of 96-95. Sadly the other two judges gave it to Johanneson by a reasonable score of 97-95 and a baffling score of 99-93 by Wynford Jones. The less said about that one the better.
Chris showed wonderful infighting ability. Slipping, blocking and throwing back quality counters. It was a pleasure to watch. Sadly it was the middle section of the fight that cost us where, for me, Carl swept rounds four to eight. Still Chris took the last two rounds on my card, showing real heart and durability.
Goodwin may have lost but he has raised his profile spectacularly. The country knows him now and we intend to strike while the iron is hot. He will be out soon and building on his success. 2012 will be a big year for Chris Goodwin, and Fight Options will continue to back him to the hilt.
I would just like to congratulate Carl Johanneson on his deserved victory. He fought like a lion and proved he had plenty left at lightweight. We wish him well in the future. He showed real guts in coming to Chester and that can’t be overlooked. Who knows, we may meet him again in the future?
It was a sad night for Paul Economides. He had won Masters titles in his last two fights and was confident of beating Dai Davies for the Welsh featherweight crown. Sadly for Paul he was out-slicked by Davies and lost by a score of 99-91. It was a heartbreaking night for the home fighter.
Paul will take some time out now to get married to his fiancée Katia and actually enjoy himself. When he comes back he will work on what went wrong and fix it. It will be the hardest period of Paul’s career but we will back him up all the way. Here at Fight Options we are a family, and if one of our family is having it tough we give them all the help they need. We know he is a warrior and he will come back stronger. And we will be there all the way.
I have to mention the Birkenhead fans and fighters who certainly made an impression on Saturday night. Sean Lewis and Sean Dodd made their pro débuts and their fans screamed the place down. It was fantastic!
The night was a success for both and we really would like to work with them on a more regular basis. The ‘Birkenhead crew’ are more than welcome to make Chester their second home.
Lee Quinn certainly gained a reputation on Saturday night when he took on Rob Hunt of Stafford in just his second pro fight. Hunt was boasting a record of 15-1-1 (1KO) and looked, on paper, far too much for the Connahs Quay welterweight. Quinn however fought like a tiger and got a deserved draw over four rounds. It just showed that Lee has an iron will and talent to match. I don’t want to start talking him up too much, he is still a novice. But we certainly have someone to watch in the future.
Gym mate Paul Davies looked sensational on the same bill, battering his opponent over four rounds. People who have read my stuff in the past may have worked out that I was not totally sold on Davies, considering him too upright and too skinny to make an impression.
Up at light welter I saw a totally different fighter. He is stronger and more mobile that he ever used to be. It is great to watch a fighter transform in front of your eyes, it is great to be wrong! Now is the time for him to kick on. We all wish him luck here at Fight Options.
Also a big thank you to the Stoke fighters. Andy Keates won his fourth pro fight and Rob Hunt drew with Lee Quinn. Stoke and Chester have been close since the days we were both boxing back waters. That relationship is as important to us today as it was then. As both our scenes grown we will become stronger together.
In my opinion the future is bright for us here at Fight Options. We are growing all the time and our shows are getting bigger. We will be happy to listen to any fighter who may want to be part of the revolution. Just give us a call or an email.
Finally, thanks to all the fans who made it possible. We will continue to put on great shows and give you value for money. The biggest reward in this game is to have fans leave an arena with a smile on their face and saying what a great night they had. We promise we will give you more those nights.
So now the future. I bristle with excitement about what I feel we are going to achieve in the next year.
Fight Options is here and it is here to stay.
