(While I was en route back from Atlantic City, Andrew Harrison and Alex McClintock filed blog entries on the rest of Saturday's actions. First up: Andrew. On deck: Alex. --Ed./Tim)
Gavin Rees clinched a European lightweight title triumph in Cardiff on Saturday. However, a relatively routine outing against the rather one-paced Andy Murray turned on a sixpence a little after halfway, when the Welshman?s energy reserves inexplicably dried up. For the second fight in succession, Rees has witnessed an early lead being clawed back after faltering, and has had to lean heavily on his second wind to bail him out of a calamitous unraveling. Taskmaster Gary Lockett looked as though he?d been supping a combination of prune juice and castor oil at the final bell ? concerned isn?t quite the word.
Rees sailed into a wide lead, sweeping the first seven rounds thanks to his quick and expertly popped jab. Murray, normally an accurate sort, was left hitting fresh air for the most part as Rees bobbed his head this way and that, a fraction too low for the Irishman to reach. It began to verge on the cartoonish at times, with the nippy little upstart running rings around his far larger pursuer. Murray seemed chronically slow in comparison and while Rees repeated the same routine, up-jabbing swiftly before moving his head off to the left, the County Cavan man was simply unable to capitalise.
Then, in the 8th, Rees suddenly shriveled up without warning. Murray sensed an opening, closed the distance and began batting his little foe?s head about, scoring his first points in the process. Concern turned to consternation in the 9th as exhaustion gripped Rees, with Murray pinning him to the ropes for long periods and the Newbridge man hanging on like a limpet. So desperately did he attach himself to Murray, referee Juergen Langos took objection and docked him a point.
Unfortunately for Murray, he has been blessed with only a single gear. For all of his fitness, determination and technique, it?s a limiting albatross around his neck. Rees managed to fiddle and faff his way through the final quarter of a tepid encounter, probably nicking the final frame as Murray?s self-belief dwindled away, for a deserved unanimous decision; scores were 116-112 and 115-112 (twice). Unless Rees can correct his mid-fight "blips," as he terms them, his arrival at the European summit may only prove a short stay.
Chief support featured hot junior featherweight prospect Carl Frampton, who was given a terse examination by the rough, raw and extremely game, Robbie Turley. The Cefn Fforest man compensated for a raggedy technique with superior fitness and balls-to-the-wall determination. It was evident pretty quickly that Turley was utterly unafraid of Frampton and ready to walk through fire in search of an upset.
Frampton held centre ring well and exhibited poise, good defence and shrewd economy of punching en route to a 98-91, 98-92 and 96-93 unanimous decision win over ten. Turley was dropped in the 7th and hit with full-blooded swings throughout, yet simply refused to buckle under. Frampton was also forced to contend with a cut over his right eye from round 4 onwards, which never really threatened to become a factor ? another badge for the rucksack, all the same.
Mentor Barry McGuigan, throwing every punch with his young ward from ringside, could not have scripted a better test for Frampton at this stage of his career, and while the lesson learned is that the Belfast prospect needs to throw more punches, rather than looking to land the fight finisher all of the time, he looks a fine talent. ?The Jackal? now moves to 10-0 (6), while Turley, who can expect his phone to be ringing off the hook with employment opportunities after this showing, slipped to 10-4 (1).
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