On Friday, 14th December at the Gary Hincks Malta Knights Promotions ‘Christmas Crackers’ event, at the Sky Club in Paceville, Malta, local young gun Steve Martin sensationally beat Germany’s Sabri Ulas Goecmen to become the new WBU Light Welterweight International Champion.
Prior to Martin’s bout, reigning WBU Super Middleweight Champion of the World ‘Super’ Scott Dixon gave late replacement, Dominik Ameri, serious problems in their eight round non-championship bout.
Throughout the early rounds Dixon showcased his superior boxing skills, easily picking off the twenty year old German with strong jabs and body, head combinations.
In the third round Dixon stepped up the pace a little, letting rip with heavy handed salvo after salvo, leaving the young German no option but to cover up and rely on the occasional countering jab in an attempt to keep the charging bull like Dixon at bay.
Ameri’s defense was no match for Dixon, who fired a massive hook low and hard to the body, to send the hapless German to the canvas.
The crowd thought it was all over, but Ameri showed he’s from much tougher stock and made it to his feet before referee John Gauchi finished the count.
For the remaining rounds Dixon reverted to his earlier game plan, plain out boxing the German to secure a shutout points victory of 80-71 on all three judges scorecards.
The atmosphere at the Sky Club was electric as the protagonists, for the headlining WBU International Championship bout, prepared to make their way to the ring.
Entering first Sabri Ulas Goecmen ran the gauntlet of jeers from the heavily partisan crowd, it was deafening, but the decibel reading went right off the scale as local hero Steve Martin entered the arena.
Martin started hard and fast, reminiscent of his mentor Scott Dixon’s approach in the earlier bout, the twenty five year old oozed confidence as he picked off his far more experienced opponent with solid jabs and heavy rights.
By the end of the fourth round Goecmen, who had struggled to make the weight the day before, was looking drained, what could you expect really, young Martin had kept the pressure up for every single second of every round so far, so it came as no surprise that following yet another massive onslaught, in the fifth, that the German’s corner threw in the towel to save their man getting knocked out, which was a real possibility at this point.
As the towel fluttered down to centre ring the entire crowd jumped to their feet cheering their young hero, at the very same time Martin’s jubilant team leapt through the ropes to celebrate with their young charge.
The official scorecards showed that Martin had won every round, all the judges scorecards read 40-36 in favour of the Maltese youngster, prior to Goecmen’s corner retiring their man.
Supporting the two professional bouts was a special four bout Ireland vs. Malta exhibition tournament, organised by a local semi-pro organisation.
Gary Hincks’ organisation should be congratulated for putting together such an excellent night of boxing, as should the relatively young Malta Boxing Commission, who were sanctioning and officiating a Championship event for the first time, for their professionalism, but the real kudos has to go to the new WBU Light Welterweight International Champion Steve Martin for his magnificent victory.
