Boxing debutants show pro class in Melksham (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Boxing debutants show pro class in Melksham

9:44am Thursday 2nd July 2009

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Wiltshire boxing fans watched a pair of red-hot prospects make explosive starts to their professional boxing careers at the Christie Miller Sports Centre in Bowerhill on Friday.

PJ Rowson of promoters First Team plans to stage another show in the area in September after seeing Liam Richards and Nick ‘Bang Bang’ Blackwell sparkle in front of their home crowd.

Richards, an all-action super-featherweight from Melksham, was handed a tough start in west Wiltshire’s first pro boxing night since 1941.

He was matched with British Masters featherweight champion Anthony Hanna from Birmingham and his whirlwind, two-fisted attacks were too much for a boxer who has challenged for British and Commonwealth flyweight titles.

From the start of the six-round scrap, Richards was on the front foot and he kept the pressure on until the final bell to secure a convincing points win.

Trowbridge teenager Blackwell took the short route to victory.

He took on Dave Sadler from Michael Marsden’s highly-rated gym in Leeds and came through the battle of debutants in thrilling style.

Blackwell’s precise power punches had Sadler on the floor in the second round and he blasted the Yorkshireman to the canvas again in the third to force the referee to step in and stop the action.

“What a night,” beamed promoter Rowson afterwards.

“I thought Liam and Nick were special when I saw them in the gym and now I know they are. This could be the start of something big. They are just starting out, so obviously there’s still a lot to learn, but I’m convinced both of them can win titles in the future.”

Swindon light-middleweight Vatche Wartanian also made his professional debut on the bill and fought out an exciting draw with Kevin McCauley from the Black Country.

In a women’s bout, Kristine Shergold from Paignton responded from defeat in a world title challenge last month to outpoint Lana Cooper.

And Wolverhampton light-middleweight Myles Holder extended his unbeaten record.

He made it two wins out of two and had to dig deep to outpoint Gary Cooper from Wales in another hard-fought six rounder.

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