20.03.05 – By Matt Clark @ ringside: Queensland’s premier promoter Jamie Myer staged yet another outstanding card at the Southport RSL on Friday 18th of March. The promotion was dubbed “Young Guns” and featured an array of competitive matches. A large crowd battled the rain outside and they were rewarded with a stellar night of pugilism. The first bout of the evening featured Wade “Pitbull” Clout and Paul “Tornado” Tapley in a catchweight contest..
Clout defeated Tapley via TKO in the 2nd round. Clout started the fight by rattling the local to the body and head, before Tapley found his rhythm in the second stanza. A perfect right hand opened a deep cut and the contest was called off immediately.
The second bout of the evening presented an interesting match up, pitting power-punching Steven Ng of the Gold Coast against clever boxer Matt Shaw of Toowoomba. The vacant Queensland middleweight title was at stake and both boxers rose to the occasion. Ng started the encounter launching vicious right hands to the head and body, while “Striker” Shaw countered with straight lefts from his southpaw stance.
The edge in power was held by “No Excuses” Ng, and he managed to drop Shaw with a body shot that would have kept many fighters down for the count. Shaw not only rose, but nearly stopped Ng in the 5th round. A perfect counter left had Ng reeling and it appeared that only the sound of the bell ending the round prevented Shaw from stopping his opponent.
Despite this being his first contest at middleweight, Shaw appeared to carry the weight well. The rest of the 8 round encounter was close, but the judges found it in favour of Ng. The decision was unanimous, 76-72, 77-72 and 77-74 and a rematch would certainly appeal to all fight fans.
Les Sherrington pounded a game debutant in Kane McKay, stopping him at 1:41 of the fourth round. Sherrington has improved out of sight and his combination work made life difficult for McKay. Gold Coaster Sherrington used his left hook to the body and a powerful uppercut to wear McKay down and force the stoppage. McKay, from Victoria, showed a lot of courage and better things are yet to come from him.
The first of two Australian title fights took place between Mick “Pony” Shaw of Toowoomba (brother of Matt) and Gold Coast’s Brad “Glamour Boy” Hemming, for the Australian junior welterweight title. Shaw was due to fight for the Australian lightweight title, but after that bout fell through, stepped up in weight and dominated Hemming from the opening round. Shaw showed an amazing ability to box when required and stand and trade when it suited. His right hook to the body was crushing and his left rip took the wind out of Hemming’s sail numerous times.
Shaw beat Hemming to the punch all night and dropped his opponent in the 7th twice. It did appear that Hemming’s glove touched the canvas later in the round, but the referee didn’t call it a knockdown, and thus saved Hemming from a TKO defeat. Hemming tried, but couldn’t land the big right hand bomb he so desperately needed. This appeared to change in the 10th and final round when a huge overhand right deposited Shaw on the canvas. Shaw held on for the remainder of the round and won by unanimous decision. Scores were 100-88, 100-89 and 98-88.
The main event was a rematch between Frankie De Milo and Matt Powell, both of the Gold Coast. The grudge match was contested for the vacant Australian junior featherweight title. The previous encounter between the two thirteen months ago saw Powell drawing De Milo into a slug fest and away from his game plan of boxing and countering. The return was a completely different story.
De Milo, originally from Rwanda, caught Powell lunging in numerous times with left uppercuts from his southpaw stance. Powell grew more and more frustrated, especially when De Milo began to hurt him to the body. De Milo stood on the outside and pot-shotted Heyes time and time again as Heyes moved in for a two-fisted attack. The clash of styles resulted in numerous clinching, much to the chagrin of referee Brad Vocale.
De Milo caught Heyes with a strong uppercut to the midrift, after which Heyes sank to the canvas complaining of a low blow. This happened on a further 3 occasions, but the experienced Vocale was having none of it and disqualified Heyes in the 6th round, after numerous warnings. It was the correct decision, as it appeared Heyes no longer wanted to fight. Vocale waived the fight off and De Milo raised his arms in triumph. Heyes lost his cool and attempted to charge De Milo, but thankfully Vocale was wise to this reaction and pinned Heyes in a corner.
A dominant performance by De Milo who showed class and now looks forward to bigger fights.
The former WBF title challenger was without respected trainer Tony Nobbs in the week leading up as Nobbs was suffering from back spasms. However, the hard work was done in the six weeks before and a physically distressed Nobbs was able to be in the corner and see his popular charge to victory. De Milo benefited in the build up from a fortnight of sparring with new WBO 126
pound mandatory Gairy St Clair prior to the Guyanan’s stoppage win over New Yorker Shamir Reyes last month.