By Brendan Galbraith, reporting from ringside — Last night, in front of a packed Odyssey Arena in Belfast, Norwich man, Sam Sexton once again upset the odds and an 8000+ partisan Irish crowd by sealing a double win over the gallant Martin Rogan. This action-packed classic duel between Rogan – the brawler and Sexton – the boxer, was halted at the end of the 6th round when an exhausted and hurt Rogan retired on his stool.
This was not part of the script. The evening had started so well for the home crowd with convincing points wins for local favourites Joe Rea, Kevin O’Hara and Luke Wilton. In the pick of the under card performances, Neil Sinclair delighted the home crowd with a clinical KO to bring to an end a one-sided contest. The penultimate under card bout introduced debutant, Belfast man, Jamie Conlan – who looked like a well-schooled boxer as he out-pointed his awkward opponent.
The arena was nearly at full capacity now, with the final stragglers filing in just in time for the PA announcer to inform the delirious home crowd that Paul McCloskey was now the new European Light Welterweight champion.. The crowd were warming up and finding their voices to Johnny Cash’s ‘Ring of Fire’ and the Irish classic the ‘The Irish Rover’. At 11pm, MC Mark Burdis stood poised in the centre of the ring – flanked with promoter Frank Warren, and aptly prefaced Martin Rogan’s entrance with “Belfast – are you ready?” The response was a rapturous roar of approval from the excited and expectant home crowd. I once more glanced around the four corners of the arena – it was completely full now. The atmosphere – already primed with excited anticipation, quickly graduated to a wild frenzy as Martin ‘The Entertainer’ Rogan, flanked by trainer Paul McCullagh and assistant Gerard McCafferty, emerged from the tunnel and into the arena to the Robbie Williams tune ‘Let Me Entertain You’. Rogan stepped into the ring – simultaneously, saluting the crowd and savouring the adulation from his adoring fans. Next, came the Commonwealth Champion Sam Sexton, the pantomime villain in the piece, who arrived to an anticipated chorus of boos. Sexton, who told me earlier in the week that he would better prepared for the hostile crowd this time, entered the ring with his trainer, Graham Everett, looking every inch the confident Champion.
Rogan in Gold shorts, Sexton in black shorts were summoned to the centre of the ring by referee, Howard Foster, for final instructions and one final psychological head-to-head.
Round-by-round Analysis
Finally, the bell sounded for the first round and Rogan came forward to force the action. The opening round was a scrappy affair with too many clinches that could have been broken up sooner by the referee. Rogan exploited this with several blows to the back of Sexton’s head. Drama followed with Rogan getting floored with a combination of a stumble and the momentum of walking into a crisp Sexton jab. Rogan was straight up again on his feet and the ref didn’t rule a knock down. On another night a referee might have given a count – certainly Sexton felt that it was as a genuine knock down when he spoke at the post-fight press conference. Nevertheless, it was clear that Rogan was not hurt and he immediately continued to try and press the action. Sexton finished the first round with some eye catching left-right combo’s. I scored the first round to Sexton.
Round two. Rogan stepped up the pace and started to work downstairs, landing several combos and single body shots; Rogan’s busy work was rewarded with accurate shots to the head. Sexton came back with his powerful right hands, a straight right and sharp right uppercut – his most dangerous punch according to sparring partner Darren Corbett. I gave the second round to Rogan.
Round three. So far, although Sexton is holding up well, I have not seen his consistent jab and lateral movement that he used to devastating effect in the first fight – only sporadic use of the jab and not as much lateral footwork. Rogan starts the round again the aggressor and clearly embarking on a strategy to weaken Sexton with hard body shots, followed up with combos to the head. Sexton responds by landing a powerful straight right that seems to have momentarily rocked Rogan. Sexton finishes the round by landing piecing double jabs through Rogan’s guard. Sexton’s round.
Round four. Rogan, who looked toned and muscular on the scales the previous day continues his impressive work downstairs, landing more body shots and looking to bully his opponent and break up his rhythm. So far this strategy is working and the brawler is stifling and out-working the boxer. Sexton is not settling into his boxing and moving style and there was little use of his effective jab in this round. Rogan is succeeding in getting Sexton to engage in a toe-to-toe in the middle of the ring. Rogan gains an upper hand during a clinch in the corner and lands a strong right to Sexton’s head. Rogan’s round.
Round five. This was the defining round in the fight. Rogan came out and unloaded on Sexton, doubling up his work-rate and launching himself into every body shot, forcing Sexton to cover up his body. Rogan switched to the head, landing several power shots that visibly wobbled Sexton. Darren Corbett had told me during the week that Sexton had a good chin and this proved to be the case in this round as Sexton held on. Corbett, who favoured Sexton to win the rematch, noted that Rogan’s ‘roughness’ might be the biggest test to Sexton’s resolve – how would he handle it? Would he fall apart? Sexton answered these questions in the 5th round by holding on and riding the Rogan onslaught – that, tellingly, was becoming more laboured as the bell sounded. Both fighters retreated to their corners for some much needed respite. Big round for Rogan. I have Rogan in front by one round at this stage.
Round six. Rogan looks very weary and still blowing for air as he comes out for what was to be the penultimate round of the fight. Rogan begins to search for more body shots, but they look laboured and slower than the impressive earlier work. Sexton, sensing that his opponent is tiring, for the first time in the fight dances laterally and moves in and out with his crisp and hurtful left-right combos and double right combos. As I watched Sexton from ringside visibly rock Rogan with his arsenal of combos and hear Sexton grunt as he stepped in with his big right hands, it was clear that Sexton was now executing a well-drilled assortment of combinations. In fact, they were the same combos that I watched Sexton rehearse on the pads with his trainer a few days earlier at the open workout at the Victoria Square Mall in Belfast. I observed Sexton’s quick hand speed and impressive drilling of left-right one-twos and double right hooks. The same work was being executed, not on his trainers pads, but with devastating effect on Rogan’s head – underlining the pre-fight analysis that Corbett had provided me. Namely, that Sexton is a hurtful puncher and that his right uppercut was particularly lethal. Thirty seconds towards the end of the six, it looked like the power in Sexton’s lethal combo’s and right-handed shots had taken their toll on Rogan. From ringside I had a direct view of Rogan’s battle-stricken face and could see that his eyes were worryingly rolling in the back of his head, his legs were unsteady – he was literally out on his feet. However, with seconds remaining on the clock, Rogan showed the kind of fighting spirit and bravery that has won him so many admirers by continuing to throw punches.
It was a gripping scene – the type of unique sporting drama that consumes fight fans and spawns new ones. Rogan, now visibly rocked, exhausted – with rolling eyes, but amazingly still standing and throwing punches. If ever Rogan lived up to the Rocky caricature, it was that incredible image.
Finally, the bell sounded to conclude the round. Sexton still looked fresh and fit when he returned to his corner. Conversely, Rogan on weak legs, staggered, momentarily aided by the rope, to his corner still looking dazed and totally gassed out. The doctor came to Rogan’s corner to take a close look at the same time as Rogan appeared to motion to his corner that it was over. After a quick exchange with Paul McCullagh, the referee, Howard Foster, was informed that Rogan had retired and he quickly waved off the fight. Sexton’s corner let out ecstatic screams of celebration and spilled out into the centre of the ring, with a clearly overjoyed Sexton punching the air. He had prevailed again and successfully made the first defence of his Commonwealth Title.
Sexton – an improving and worthy Champion
Sexton had unequivocally answered several pre-fight criticisms; namely, that he couldn’t take a punch, had stamina issues and would wilt under the pressure. Of course, those that knew Sexton best, posited that many of the aforementioned criticisms were not warranted. Corbett, in a pre-fight interview with me, stated that Sexton was a fitness fanatic, had a good chin and would be better equipped to deal with the pressure of fighting in front of a partisan crowd. Sexton, to his credit, had returned to the lions den and finally exerted his superior boxing skills over the tough and spirited brawler. Overall, Sexton had shown true character to deal with the hostile partisan crowd and to hold on when faced with the brutal assault from Rogan in the fifth round. Although, Sexton didn’t use his jab and boxing skills to the same effect as the first fight, he deployed them when it mattered most – in the decisive sixth round. Moreover, Sexton, looked fresh and fit at the end of the bout and was obviously well conditioned in training by the experienced Graham Everett.
By the time the MC Mark Burdis announced the official verdict and informed us that Rogan had retired due to an injury to his arm, most of the fight fans had left the arena. There were a few hecklers close to ringside, directly behind the press area, and they shamefully shouted expletives towards the Champion when he was conducting a post-fight interview with Rogan for Sky Sports. Rogan, to his enormous credit – momentarily interrupted his interview to shout back at the hecklers to wrap it up and respect the fighter.
The unused judges were: Ian John Lewis, Victor Loughlin and Mark Green.
Post-Fight Press Conference
Several members of the press arrived into Sexton’s crowded dressing room to conduct a post-fight press conference with Sexton, his trainer, Graham Everett and Frank Warren. Sexton referring to the job assignment in the rematch, particularly in light of the controversial ending in the first fight, stated: “I came back to prove a point and did that.”
“It was a hostile crowd, and I expected that, and the Belfast people were behind their man but maybe I’ll get the credit I deserve for coming back here when I didn’t have to.
“He was throwing some good body shots but I’m well covered to the body and no one’s ever going to the hurt me with a body shot. He definitely didn’t pose me any more problems than last time. Rogan can punch and he’s strong but I’m stronger and the better man.”
Sexton was asked how hard was the fifth round and conceded that it was a tough round for him, but insisted that he is stubborn and “did what I had to do” to overcome Rogan’s onslaught.
Sexton summed up his feelings on the finish, his preparation and his future:
“I said I was getting stronger all time and any other fighter would have gone down from my shots so all respect to Martin Rogan, he has a tough chin and they were solid shots I was throwing – I could feel them rocking him every time.
“I’m by far the fittest I’ve ever been and we’ve added different things to training; I’m very excited about the rest of my career and I’m a fresh 25. No matter that I’m due to fight for the British title because it is already mine and if we can do bigger fights before that then we’ll take them but the British title is a certainty. Nobody in Great Britain will stand up to me.”
Manager and promoter Frank Warren confirmed that Sexton would be facing Danny Williams next in a British Title clash. A beaming Frank Warren, complimented Sexton in his victory and added: “Sam fought a great fight and he should get the credit for coming to the other guy’s backyard again”. I agree.
Finally, I asked Sexton to describe what happened towards the end of the sixth, and suggested that Rogan looked to be out on his feet?
Sexton replied: “I’m a fair man and I don’t run people down but was there an injury (to Rogan)? [at this point Sexton shrugged knowingly].
Sexton continued, holding up his right fist: “These shots I threw were solid and it took it out of him, breaking his heart. Remember that I’m a sharp, big fella and I fight like a light-heavyweight using the jab and moving around the ring.”
It should be noted that Sam Sexton has expressed that he would like to dedicate his victory, the successful defence of his Commonwealth Heavyweight Title to his late grandfather, Lui Sexton, who passed away last month