Just two weeks into the new season and the TRAD TKO Boxing Gym’s boxers are continuing the stunning form, which was started by a successful defense of English Light Middleweight title by Erick ‘The Eagle’ Ochieng, newly crowned Southern Area Champions in Ian Bailey and Danny ‘Cassius’ Connor, as well as great wins by rising stars Wadi ‘Machoman’ Camacho, Tom Baker and Charlie Hoy, the week previously.
Eight of the Warriors from the famous Canning Town fight factory were in action over the past weekend, with seven of them taking the spoils of victory and just one being on the wrong side of a rather close points decision, more about this a little later, as we start the rundown on Friday’s Frank Warren promoted ‘Three Kings’ event at York Hall.
First in action on the night was Gary Corcoran, against Billy Smith, the man young Gary fought on his debut in November last year. As before Gary plain outboxed Smith to secure a shutout 40-36 points victory.
Next up was popular Canning Town youngster Billy Morgan, taking on Youssef Al Hamidi in an eight by two minute round contest. Just as with gym mate Gary Corcoran young Billy stuck to the plan and boxed his way to an impressive shutout 80-72 points victory.
The next TRAD TKO based boxer to enter the ring was shooting Super Middleweight star Frankie Buglioni, who destroyed late replacement Joe Rea in less than two rounds. Frankie delighted his massive following, by dominating from start to finish as well as sending the Irishman to the canvas no less than three times.
Having already secured two ‘against the odds’ titles the week previous, optimism was running high, in the TRAD TKO camp, when Peter McDonagh took on unbeaten Bradley Skeete for the British Masters Welterweight title.
Peter worked his socks off, against the bookies favourite, by the midway point Peter was well in front, and after nicking a few of the later rounds as well, and looked destined to take the win.
However the man that makes the decision, referee Ken Curtis see the fight in favour of the ‘home’ fighter, denying the amiable Irishman his fourth title by a misleading 95-97 points margin.
Next up it was the big one, Commonwealth Middleweight Champion Billy Joe Saunders defended his crown against fellow Olympian and also unbeaten as a pro, Australia’s Jarrod Fletcher.
The Aussie had a distinct height and reach advantage over Billy Joe, but in all honesty that’s the only advantage Fletcher was to enjoy. Billy Joe literally ripped the antipodean challenger to pieces. It took Billy Joe just five minutes and fourty two seconds to dispatch Jarrod, much to the delight of his esteemed coaching duo, Jimmy and Mark Tibbs.
Rounding out the show was Ediz ‘Eddy’ Hussein, against Dan Carr. Eddy, the son of former Commonwealth Champion Mo Hussein, proved to be a chip of the old block as he out boxed the more experienced Carr to secure his third win since turning pro one year ago.
TRAD TKO supremo Johnny Eames gave his view of the bouts featuring the famous fight factory’s boxers.
“Another great weekend for the TRAD TKO fighters.
It started on Friday at York Hall with Gary Corcoran getting a great win over Billy Smith, then Billy Morgan got another really hard fought win over Youssef Al Hamidi.
Frankie Buglioni, Frankie ‘Puncher’ Buglioni pulled it out again against Joe Rea, got a great second round stoppage, much to the delight of his five hundred plus supporters there.
I think Peter McDonagh was very unlucky, against Bradley Skeete, a fight that I thought could have gone either way.
Most pundits thought it would have been a landslide for Bradley Skeete, but Peter really run him close, many people here thought he won, there wouldn’t have been any screams if Peter had got the nod. It certainly looked like Bradley’s corner was more in a panic than Peter’s.
Then what a great win for our Billy Joe Saunders, against the so called dangerous Jarrod Fletcher.
If he’s dangerous then I’d hate to see anyone that ain’t dangerous, I mean Billy made very, very good work of it, showed his class and showed he’s ready to move on.
Last on the night was Ediz Hussein, he sat gloved up from six o’clock but actually got in the ring at eleven. You know some of these things you have to experience it, but Eddy took it in his stride and pulled in a good performance against a messy Dan Carr, who didn’t really come to win, just came to make it messy.”
The following day Johnny Eames and Barry Smith headed south, to Portsmouth, where rising Light Heavyweght Joel McIntyre and new signing Tommy Watson were set to fight on the Jay Morris promoted ‘Punishment on the Pier’ event.
First of the TRAD TKO duo in the ring was Tommy Watson, who faced off against Arek Malek. As on his only previous pro outing young Tommy outboxed his opponent to secure a nice 40-36 points win.
Tony ‘Oakey Kokey’ Oakey protégé Joel McIntyre made short work of Lithuanian import Egidijus Kakstys, stopping him in proper style in the third stanza.
Johnny again gave his insight into the performances of the TRAD TKO fighters in action on the night.
“We move onto to Saturday at Portsmouth, where we had young Tommy Watson and Joel McIntyre boxing for us.
Both pulled in really good wins, Tommy with a great points win over Arek Malek, Arek has fought every top boy in Europe that you can think of, none of them stopped him and Tommy pulled out a great win.
Then Joel McIntyre pulled a great stoppage win out, after some great sparring with Billy Joe Saunders, which really bought Joel on and he pulled out a great third round stoppage.
There’s one thing I want to say here about the two promoters, Jay Morris and Kaz Evans, who are complete liberty takers. Young Tommy sold sixty five tickets, the agreement was a hundred, and they give him £50.
They kept eight hundred pounds, gave £1,100 to the opponent and gave Tommy £50, as far as I am concerned these people aren’t wanted in boxing and shouldn’t be in boxing.
You know it’s about swings and roundabouts, what the promoters need to remember is that without the fighters there are no shows, all right without the promoters there are no shows either, but we’re in it together, we’re not against each other, they should have at least given the kid two or three hundred quid, they didn’t even pay his petrol money, so in the future they will never get another fighter of mine on their shows.”
Sitting on a 13-1 record going into the third weekend of the new season, the TRAD TKO crew are hopeful that this coming weekend they secure a second clean sheet, as on Saturday Kevin Mitchell challenges Ricky Burns for his WBO World Lightweight crown in Glasgow.
On Sunday the TRAD TKO team will be out in force at the Miranda Carter promoted ‘Sunday Best’ event at York Hall, as there are no less than five of their youngsters on the bill.
Cruiserweight Menay ‘The Emperor’ Edwards takes on a closely matched Neil Dawson. Both Menay, who has had nine bouts, and Dawson, who has ten, have only had a single loss in their careers to date, so expect fireworks as these pair battle for supremacy.
Backing up the battle of the big boys will be TRAD TKO gym mates ‘Saint’ George Jupp, who takes on Shaun Tribble, nineteen year old Light Middleweight Brett O’Callaghan faces the highly experienced Duncan Cottier and Light Welterweight Eren Arif makes his debut against the ubiquitous Johnny Greaves.
Last but not least former Amateur World #2 female Featherweight Areti Mastoudouka gets her third outing against a yet to be named opponent.
Finally Johnny gave his thoughts on the fights, featuring TRAD TKO boxers, this coming weekend.
“What a weekend coming up, it’s just getting busier and busier.
First of all we’ve got the big one on Saturday night, up in Glasgow, our Kevin Mitchell going up there to fight Ricky Burns, who is a very close friend of mine and the gym.
It’s hard for me to pick a favourite or a winner, because they’re both such close friends, I’m going to upset one them, but I do think Kevin can do it.
If Kevin’s good and Ricky’s good, I think a good Kevin beats a good Ricky, I’ve said it before, there’s not a lot in it, but what I’ve seen from Kevin he’s looking good.
If I was a betting man, which I’m not, I’d lean towards Kevin, but I wont be too surprised if it goes the other way either.
Then we’ve got a big day for the local boys, and girl, on Sunday at the Miranda Carter show at York Hall.
Georgie Jupp, Menay Edwards, Brett O’Callaghan, Eren Arif and our Areti Mastrodouka, all boxing on Sunday.
It’ll be a good afternoon’s boxing, hopefully we’ll make it six out of six again.
You know it’s getting better and better all the time.”
Tickets for Mitchell-Burns, Miranda Carter’s ‘Sunday Best’, as well as other boxing events in the Capital, are available on-line at www.tkoboxoffice.com or in person from the TRAD TKO Boxing Gym, Gillian House, Stephenson Street, Canning Town, London E16 4SA.
